New Beginnings
by hey cool
Summary: Lizzie and Gordo start their freshman year of high school, and before long Gordo gets his first girlfriend. Then everything goes downhill.
1. Good Morning

As the bus pulled up to Gordo's stop, he tiredly got on. Today was his first day as a freshman at Hillridge High School, and his first time to see Lizzie since they had gotten back from Rome. She had been grounded, and Gordo had been on vacation the rest of the time, and they had not talked at all.  
  
He threw his backpack on the seat, and slumped down into the seat. It was 6:30 IN THE MORNING, and he still felt like he was asleep in his bed.  
  
The bus rolled out of Gordo's neighborhood, and into the next one. Lizzie's. She was the only one at the first stop, and she looked as nervous as she did when she was about to go onstage at the IVMA's.  
  
Lizzie came onto the bus and stopped right by Gordo's seat.  
  
"Mind if I sit by you, Gordo?" she asked politely.  
  
"Sure," Gordo replied, and he shoved his backpack on the floor.  
  
Of course, Lizzie looked like she had spent hours on her appearance, when Gordo looked like he had just gotten out of bed. He stared at her for a second, and did not hear her question.  
  
"Earth to Gordo! How was the rest of your summer?"  
  
"Oh," Gordo said, awaking from his trance. "It was good. We went skiing. How was your's?"  
  
"Grounded," she said with a grimace.  
  
After some small talk between the two, the bus pulled up in front of the high school.  
  
"Well, this is it," Lizzie said.  
  
"The beginning of the rest of our lives."  
  
The two pushed the double doors of Hillridge High School open at once.  
  
"Lizzie, I want to ask you something," Gordo said, drawing in a big breath. Even though they had shared a kiss on the balcony of the hotel in Rome, neither of them had acted on their feelings, leaving a lot of awkwarness between them.  
  
"What?"  
  
Before Gordo could open his mouth, Miranda ran up behind Lizzie, and wrapped her into a huge hug.  
  
"Elizabeth Brooke Mcguire. The first time you get some gumption about yourself, I am not even there to see it..."  
  
The two best friends erupted in fast conversation. This was the first time they had seen each other since Miranda had left for Mexico.  
  
Gordo drew into the background once again, neither of them noticing him. He went in search of his locker, and on the way there he heard a familiar voice from behind.  
  
"So I see nothing changed in Rome?"  
  
He whirled around to find Simon Alexander, one of his good friends. It would be their first time to be in the same school, since Simon had went to an exclusive private school. Gordo and he had been attending the same synagogue since they were babies, and their parents were best friends as well.  
  
Simon was tall and good-looking, but he always casually brushed off every girl's attention, since he was, until the end of last year, in a long relationship. They had broken it off when Simon's parents decided to send him to public school.  
  
His family was what most people would call "loaded", and they lived in a huge mansion on the outskirts of town. Simon was a hard-worker, like his parents, and he usually got straight A's.  
  
"Well, she did kiss me...but no, nothing happened after that."  
  
"She kissed you?"  
  
"It was a 'thank you kiss', whatever that means," Gordo replied.  
  
"Yeah, I heard what happened."  
  
Gordo was confused, but he knew that Simon knew most of the gossip at Hillridge Junior High before Gordo even knew it. He was a likable person, and had many friends besides Gordo that had attended the public school.  
  
"What are the chances of that happening?" Gordo asked hypothetically. "Your best friend is mistaken for a famous pop star in Rome, and gets to perform in the IVMA's."  
  
"And you still don't get together."  
  
"Right."  
  
--------  
  
"And then it turns out that Paolo was planning to set me up," Lizzie explained to her group of friends.  
  
"What?" a close friend of their's, Allie Davidson said. "All of this happened, and I was at DANCE CAMP?"  
  
Allie Davidson was a close member of their unofficial group. She had shoulder-length dark blonde hair (which was usually down and perfectly straightened), and big, blue eyes. Allie was extremely pretty, and usually not one part of her appearance was out of place. However, she was much too shy to even know that bunch of guys had crushes on her.  
  
She had spent the first week of her summer at dance camp with the school dance team, and the rest of her summer at a summer dance intensive in New York.  
  
"I know...it was awesome," Lizzie said excitedly. "And it turns out that Isabella and I are actually distant cousins."  
  
"Weird," Madison Kellner, another member of their group remarked. "You two could be twins," she said after seeing the picture.  
  
Madison Kellner probably was one of the strongest, most independent girls in their class. Her father had died in a car accident at the beginning of seventh grade, and she usually was always working to gain extra money for her mother, brother, and her. She was the only one with a real job in the group, bringing food out to tables at a family-owned diner. She technically was not old enough to be working, but the owners of the diner were close family friends. In addition to that, she also babysat almost every kid in Hillridge, leaving no jobs for anyone else.  
  
On top of all of that, she was the lead singer of her own band, with her boyfriend Jay Roberts. They had actually been off and on since the fifth grade.  
  
Madison had wanted to go to Rome, but her schedule simply would not allow. Plus, she did not have enough money to pay the airfare and boarding.  
  
"I know. By the way, are you and Jay on or off?" Lizzie asked out of curiosity.  
  
"Very on," Madison said with a smile.  
  
With that, a car pulled up close to the door, and another one of their friends, Shana Williams, climbed out.  
  
"Hi, guys," she said, greeting them.  
  
"I am SO jealous that your sister has a parking pass, and you do not have to ride the bus," Miranda remarked.  
  
"I know. But the WHOLE ride here, I thought that I would NEVER make it to school. Julia is a horrible driver," Shana said, and the others laughed. She was known for her flair for the drama, and was usually the star of all the school plays.  
  
Shana had long, wavy, auburn hair, and mysterious green eyes. She was the middle of three sisters, and was usually on a rant or rave about it. Shana always tried to have the latest fashions, and she tried to dress like she lived in New York.  
  
She was going to go to Rome, but at the last minute her mother had another nervous breakdown, and whisked the entire family off to "family counseling" at a spa in Colorado. Shana got her dramatic attitude from her mother, and her mother was famous for having crazy ideas and going with them. Last summer, she thought that nobody in the family had the right attitude, so she and the entire family spent the entire summer in a dude ranch. This summer, she thought that the family was falling apart.  
  
"How was YOUR summer?" Allie asked Shana, laughing as Shana rolled her eyes. The two of them were best friends like Lizzie and Miranda, and they had known each other since birth.  
  
"Family counseling sucked. There were no cute guys there AT ALL. The entire time Julia and I went to the nearby mall."  
  
"Yeah well, thanks to you, I was going to have to room with Margaret Chan, and thanks to her I had to room with-"  
  
As if almost on cue, Kate Sanders strolled over to the group.  
  
"Hi Lizzie. How was the rest of your summer?" she asked politely, totally uncharacteristic of her. Everyone sat waiting for the insult to come, but it never did.  
  
"I was grounded."  
  
"That stinks. What do you have first hour?"  
  
Lizzie pulled out her schedule.  
  
"Ummmm...World Geography."  
  
"Wow! So do I. See you there!"  
  
Kate left to join her posse, leaving Miranda, Allie, Shana, and Madison standing there, with their mouths to the ground.  
  
"You just had a friendly conversation with the devil," Shana said, holding her fingers in the sign of a cross in front of her.  
  
"You guys, Kate actually isn't that bad. We were roomies, and she was actually nice for a change. Like she used to be."  
  
When they were in Rome, Kate kept on telling Lizzie that once they got back, nothing would change. But she was wrong, and the two actually had rekindled their friendship. They were still trying to patch up some things, though.  
  
"That was the first time she has been by me, and has not called me Ratty Maddie," Madison remarked.  
  
"She didn't even call me Sha-na-na," Shana said.  
  
"I think she misses us, maybe. Remember sixth grade? All of us were inseperable," Allie reminisced.  
  
"Well, color me shocked," Miranda said, and everyone laughed.  
  
Just then, another familiar face came up from behind.  
  
"Howdy, y'all," a voice with a heavy Southern drawl said cheerfully. It was Brynn Matthews, the final member of their inseperable group of friends. She was very tan, as she had spent the entire summer in Destin, Florida.  
  
Brynn was relatively new to the group. She had just moved from Dallas, Texas in sixth grade. Everyone loved her easy sense of humor, and the way she acted like she knew you her whole life, even if you had just met. She was also a part of the popular group, but was more close to Lizzie and her friends.   
  
She looked like a stereotypical California girl, with her blonde hair, and tan body, which was weird because she grew up in Dallas. Brynn volunteered as a lifeguard at the pool, and was also the star of the swim team already as a freshman. She was easily the prettiest girl of their class, even beating out the popular girls. Brynn usually was dating someone, and right now she was in the middle of a relationship with a college freshman.  
  
"How was your summer, Brynn?" the group asked.  
  
"Wonderful. Me and Chris had the best time at the beach, and I learned how to surf."  
  
Her parents were also very cool, probably the coolest parents of the group, and had let her bring her boyfriend with her. Everyone was extremely jealous of her, because her boyfriend was extremely sweet and caring, despite the age difference.  
  
With that the bell rang, and everyone rushed off to their classes.  
  
"I've got biology," Shana said, wrinkling her nose with disgust.  
  
"English. Sorry, Shana," Allie said.  
  
"Well, I've got World Geography," Lizzie said. "See you guys," she said, as she rushed to find it with Kate.  
  
"Does anyone have geometry?" Miranda asked.  
  
"I do, Miranda," both Madison and Brynn answered, and the three of them left for their class.  
  
-----------  
  
The bell rang, as Simon was talking to Gordo by their lockers, with some of their other friends.  
  
"What do you have first hour, Simon?" Gordo asked.  
  
"Biology," he answered. "What about you?"  
  
"English. I guess we will see each other at lunch."  
  
"Bye."  
  
With the sound of the second bell, everybody rushed to their class to begin the first day of school. 


	2. If I Fell in Love With You

Shana walked into the near empty biology room, and found her name on the seating chart that the teacher had already prepared. Her lab partner was someone named Simon Alexander. Hmmm. The name sounded familiar, but she just could not place it anywhere.  
  
She sat down and took her seat, and got out her journal. Her mother had bought each kid a journal, for fear that they did not open up well enough. Julia quickly abandoned hers, being way too busy to even think about keeping a journal, and Natalie, their younger sister, told her mom that it was stupid. Shana was the only one that kept hers, and she wrote in hers almost everyday.  
  
_August 19th, 2004_, she neatly wrote at the top of a new page.  
  
_First day of school. I am sitting here almost alone in the classroom. The teacher hasn't even gotten here yet. My sister told me that she hardly ever teaches the class, and that she is one of the easiest teachers in the school. Julia said that most of the time you sit talking to your lab partner. I hope mine is interesting.  
_  
_Speaking of lab partners, here he comes.  
  
_Simon Alexander sat down in the seat next to Shana.  
  
"Hello, I'm Simon Alexander," he said, sticking out his hand for her to shake.  
  
"Hi, I'm Shana Williams. I guess we are lab partners."  
  
"I guess we are," he replied, almost disgusted sounding.  
  
_Simon Alexander? Seems a little bit snobby, sitting here with his fancy all Abercrombie wardrobe. He is a little good looking, if you like that whole tall, well-groomed look. Not really my type, though. I tend to go for wild, couldn't-care-less guys. He looks smart, which should be good in a lab partner.  
_  
The classroom eventually filled up, and the teacher took the front of the room. Shana quickly finished her sentance, and closed her journal.  
  
"Hello, freshman, and welcome to your first day at Hillridge High School. My name is Mrs. Smith, and I will be teaching you Biology this year. Now to begin, I would like you to get to know your lab partner a little better. They will be your lab partner for the rest of the year."  
  
"I would like you to each ask each other five questions. What is your favorite TV show, your favorite band or singer, your favorite movie, what intermediate school did you go to, and what is your favorite color. Get started, and don't waste any time."  
  
Shana and Simon reluctantly turned to each other.  
  
"Let's get this over with," Simon said. "What is your favorite TV show?"  
  
"Saturday Night Live," Shana replied.  
  
"MadTV is so much better," Simon said.  
  
"Yeah...right. It's full of stupid bathroom humor," Shana said. "Saturday Night Live is so much smarter."  
  
"Maybe, but they were in a huge slump this year. And who knows what kind of slump they will be in next year with Jimmy Fallon?" Simon asked.  
  
"Jimmy Fallon was SO not the best castmember on the show. In fact, he really could not make it through a sketch without laughing," Shana replied, trying to show her knowledge of the show.  
  
"Let's just move on. What is your favorite band or singer?"  
  
"The Beatles," Shana replied, not even hesitating.  
  
Simon raised his eyebrows, and replied "The Beatles? Well, I like The Who, Led Zepellin, and Pink Floyd much better."  
  
"So now you have to put down my favorite band too?" Shana asked defensively.  
  
"The Beatles are a classic, even if they are highly overrated," Simon said. "Do you like any music in this decade?"  
  
"Well, Mr. Led Zepellin, as a matter of fact, I do. I like Maroon 5, Rooney, Guster, John Mayer, Gavin DeGraw, and Jason Mraz."  
  
Simon coughed really loud, and said "Dave Matthews Band knockoffs!" under his breath.  
  
"It's obvious we are never going to agree on anything, so I will give you the answers to all of my questions. My favorite movie is Grease, I went to Hilridge Intermediate School, and my favorite color is red," Shana said, very flustered.  
  
"If you want to do that...then I don't have a favorite movie, I went to Hilridge Academy, and my favorite color is gray."  
  
"How can your favorite color be gray?" Shana asked out of curiosity, because she had never met anyone that favorite color was gray.  
  
"How can your favorite color be red?" he shot back.  
  
The two turned their chairs away from each other, and sat in silence while the other pairs around the room talked about their summers, interests, etc.  
  
Shana pulled out her journal, and returned to her entry.  
  
_I absolutely cannot stand this guy. Where does he get off making fun of my every interest? I can't believe I am going to have to spend the rest of the year with him. I already feel sorry for myself.  
_

* * *

After the bell rang, Lizzie went off in search of Kate, but Kate and the rest of the cheerleaders were wrapped up in some kind of cheerleading emergency. Lizzie went on to her first class, World Geography. She found the perfect seat, sat down, and started to get her school supplies out.  
  
Just then, the door burst open, and the entire junior varsity cheerleading squad walked in, with Kate at the front. Kate walked right up to Lizzie, and sat down in the seat beside her.  
  
"Lizzie," she said, giving Lizzie a huge smile.  
  
Uh oh, this is where she makes fun of my outfit, and pretends like this summer never happened, Lizzie thought to herself.  
  
"I take it you did not see Georgia Skylar this morning," Kate said, very businesslike.  
  
"No, I did not."  
  
"Well, let's just say she has changed a little over the summer, and she has quit the squad."  
  
Lizzie's mouth was wide open in shock that the captain of the varsity cheerleading squad quit the team.  
  
"The coach already knows, and she has already moved up a sophomore from junior varsity. But now, we need someone to fill the empty spot, and we want you."  
  
Lizzie's mouth was probably down to the ground by now, and she composed herself a little to ask for an explanation.  
  
"But I am horrible at cheerleading! You've seen me."  
  
"And, you are like the best gymnast in our class," another member of the squad, Nora Smith said.  
  
"Is it going to open to anyone else?" a voice from behind them said.  
  
Everyone turned around and saw a petite, brunette bombshell that they had never seen before.  
  
"Hi, my name is Amber, and I just moved here from Hilridge Academy. I couldn't help but overhear, and I don't really think that it all that fair. You really should open up the auditions so everyone should have an equal chance," she said, flashing a fake smile.  
  
"I didn't really think about that," Kate said, embarassed that she was just shown up.  
  
The teacher came into the classroom, interrupting the conversation, and sending all of the girls to their seats.  
  
"Pssst, Lizzie," Kate whispered to Lizzie. She droppped a note on the floor, and kicked over to Lizzie's desk.  
  
Lizzie picked up the note.  
  
_IF AMBER GETS HER WAY, I AM STILL SURE THAT YOU WOULD MAKE IT. BUT IF SHE DOES NOT, YOU ARE ON THE TEAM.  
  
_Lizzie smiled as she put the note in her binder. She was going to start high school a cheerleader, and she would surely soon be popular.

* * *

"Hey, Gordo," Allie Davidson said.  
  
"Hi, Allie."  
  
Gordo and Allie were relatively close, mainly because of one thing: Allie was the only one in Lizzie's group that knew of Gordo's feelings. One day at the end of eight grade, Confused Guy's letter fell out of his notebook. Allie picked it up, and being as curious as she is, she read the entire thing, forcing Gordo to confess. She had kept the secret the entire time, not even telling Shana.  
  
"So, I heard about your summer," Allie said with a slight smile.  
  
Gordo just shook his head. The whole school had heard what happened, but they did not hear that Lizzie and Gordo had kissed.  
  
"Did you hear that Lizzie and I kissed?"  
  
"You did?" she said with disbelief.  
  
"But, apparently it was just a 'thank you' kiss," he replied. "Whatever that means."  
  
"Gordo, she will come around eventually," Allie comforted him. "She just doesn't see you that way yet. She's afraid that you two could lose your friendship."  
  
"Friendship is highly overrated."  
  
"Why don't you just tell her?" Allie asked, once again. Every time they had this conversation, she had that suggestion.  
  
"She'll freak out. It won't be pretty."  
  
"Maybe she won't."  
  
"But she probably will. Besides, I don't really want to wait for her anymore. I'm tired of being safe, predictable, boring David Gordon. I want to reinvent myself."  
  
At that second, the door swung open, and in walked Ethan Craft.  
  
"Hey, G-man!" he said, holding his hand up for a high five.  
  
"How did you get into Honors Engligh?" Allie asked Ethan.  
  
"I'm a smart guy," he replied, sitting in the desk next to Gordo. "Hey, G-man, trade places with me. I'm smarter if I sit next to a door."  
  
"What?" Gordo exclaimed.  
  
"Every C that I have gotten in a class, I sit next to the door."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
The two trades places, and Allie and Gordo continued to talk about Rome, with Ethan included in the conversation. Apparently, he and Kate went from sort-of dating, to definitely dating in Rome, and had been going steady since they returned home.  
  
"How come he can get the girl he want?" Allie quietly asked Gordo to the side.  
  
"He has slow curve," Gordo replied, and he and Allie laughed at their inside joke, leaving a confused Ethan.

* * *

After second hour, Simon caught up with Gordo by their lockers.  
  
"Gordo, she's here."  
  
"Who is here?" Gordo asked.  
  
"Amber."  
  
Gordo looked around the school.  
  
"Why is she here?"  
  
"She's going to school here now."  
  
"What?" Gordo exclaimed, as he slammed his locker door shut.  
  
"She is in my English class, and she switched schools just to be with me. Amber wants to get back together," Simon hissed underneath his breath.  
  
"That's great," Gordo said, but then he saw Simon's face. "Isn't it?"  
  
"No, it's not. Did I tell you why we broke up?"  
  
"You were going to public school?"  
  
"She cheated on me!" Simon exclaimed. "And now she claims that she has changed."  
  
Just then, the devil they were speaking of, Amber, walked up.  
  
"Hi, Simon," she said coldly.  
  
She turned to Gordo, and smiled seductively.  
  
"Hey, Gordo."  
  
Gordo sheepishly smiled, and waved his hand.  
  
"What class do you have next?" she asked Gordo.  
  
"Biology."  
  
"So do I!" she exclaimed, and took his hand. "Come on, ket's go to class. Maybe we will be lab partners!"  
  
As Amber whisked Gordo off to the Biology classrooms, Lizzie, Miranda, and Madison watched them from a distance.  
  
"How does Gordo know Amber?" Lizzie asked.  
  
"Amber is Simon Alexander's ex-girlfriend," Madison informed her.  
  
"How do you know them?" Miranda asked, looking at Madison with her eyebrows raised.  
  
"One of my band members goes to Hilridge Academy, and he told me all about this big ordeal at their school. Apparently, Amber is like the Kate at their school, and Simon is like....a Gordo, if you will. He is likable, and rich, but he doesn't play sports or anything, so he is not a jock. And when they started dating, she never really stopped dating her other boyfriend...who thought that they were dating, too," Madison explained.  
  
"And Simon is Gordo's good friend from his synagogue," Lizzie said.  
  
Just then, Nora Smith, a member of the junior varsity cheerleading squad walked up.  
  
"Bad news, Lizzie. Principal says we have to do auditions," she warned Lizzie. "Hi, Miranda...Madison."  
  
She said the last name a bit uneasily. She and Madison were the best of friends throughout all of elementary school, but when Madison's father died, and Nora made the cheerleading squad, Nora dumped Madison for Kate and her gang.  
  
Madison smiled a fake smile at her ex-best friend. Although Nora never participated in the taunting of anyone, Madison still never really forgave her for turning her back on her.  
  
In all actuality, Nora was really a sweetheart, with just a tough exterior. She looked unusual compared to her fellow blonde cheerleaders, because of her jet black hair and green cat eyes. She was an amazing artist, probably the best in the school, and it seemed very weird for her to be a cheerleader. Her outfits usually said it all. Today she was wearing a fitted, black leather blazer, a white tank top, and a ripped blue jean skirt. To accessorize her outfit, she wore a chain belt, and a pair of Converse tennis shoes that she left untied.  
  
"When are the auditions?" Lizzie asked.  
  
"Tomorrow, in the dance studio."  
  
"I'll be there," Lizzie said confidently.  
  
"See ya there," she said, with her trademark wave, and she was off.  
  
"Auditions for cheerleading?" Miranda asked Lizzie, astonished. "You are going to be a cheerleader?"  
  
"You guys aren't mad...are you?" Lizzie asked, suddenly not so confident.  
  
"I'm happy for you, Lizzie," Madison assured her. "It might take some time to get used to, though."  
  
"Why is there an open spot?" Miranda asked.  
  
As if on cue, the cheerleader formerly known as Georgia Skylar walked by. Her once flowing blonde locks had been dyed pink, and styled into dredlocks. She now sported several facial piercings, and a tatoo of a snake curled down her arm. Georgia met up with her boyfriend, the perpetually stoned Snake (he preferred one name only), and they proceeded to make out in the middle of the hallway.  
  
"She quit," Lizzie said, gesturing towards the couple.  
  
"How can they breath?" Madison remarked to Miranda, who was looking at the two quite oddly.  
  
"I definitely just saw tongue," Miranda said, as she shielded her eyes. "My virgin eyes! Where is a teacher when you need them?"  
  
Lizzie laughed at her two friends, who were having an animated conversation about the virtues of hotel rooms.

* * *

"So, Gordo...what's a guy like you doing without a girlfriend?" Amber asked seductively.  
  
"Oh...you know," Gordo stammered nervously. He had not idea why Amber was flirting with him this much.  
  
"Cause you are just so adorable," she said, patting his curly hair with her hand.  
  
"Thanks...I guess."  
  
Amber snaked her hand into his hand, and Gordo quickly pulled it away as they were walking to their next class.  
  
She obviously had an idea pop into her head, because all of a sudden she had a huge mischievious smile on her face. The next thing Gordo knew, she had pulled him into an open door.  
  
The room was a broom closet for the janitors, and it was very dark. Amber pulled a chain above his head, and a light came on.  
  
"I don't think students are allowed in here."  
  
"Which is why nobody will bother us. You are very sexy, David Gordon," she whispered in his ear. She tried to kiss Gordo in the lips, but Gordo stopped her with his hand.  
  
"What do you want from me?" he demanded.  
  
"I have liked you the entire time, David. I was just going out with Simon to get to you."  
  
She pulled in closer, and the two met in a passionate embrace. She pushed his hair off of his forehead, as she backed away.  
  
"Wow," he said, still a little dumbfounded.  
  
"Will you go out with me, David?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
The two continued to kiss, not even caring what time it was, or what class they had to go to. For once, David Gordon was breaking out of his box, and it felt really good.

* * *

"I'm so glad we finally have a class together," Allie said, as they tried to find their next class.  
  
"Too bad it's...FRESHMAN HEALTH," Shana said, with her usual dramatic accent.  
  
"OH MY GOSH!! THE HORROR!" Allie playfully exclaimed.  
  
"Oh, you know what?" Shana said, suddenly remembering something.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I got a new CD yesterday. Matt Nathanson. It's actually quite good."  
  
Allie and Shana shared the exact same taste in most things. They liked the same TV shows, music, and movies. Also, they both really liked to read as well.  
  
"Have you listened to Josh Kelley?" Allie asked. "He sounds a lot like John Mayer."  
  
"I think Julia might have that one," she replied. "What does he sing?"  
  
"You know that song-baby, you're amazing," Allie sang. "I want to let you see."  
  
"Oh...you were everything and more to me," Shana sang. "I will let you be."  
  
"I will, I will," the two sang together in unison, interrupted by the bell.  
  
They looked around at the empty hallway.  
  
"Was that the bell?" Allie asked, about to start freaking out. She had never had a detention in her life.  
  
"Relax...the teachers don't care if you are late on the first day of school. It's probably just right around the corner," Shana said, trying to calm Allie down.  
  
They turned around the next corner, and did not find a hallway, but instead of huge window.  
  
"Omigosh...they going to give us a tardy!" Allie exclaimed, about to cry.  
  
"Calm down...do you have a map by any chance?"  
  
"Right here," Allie said as she pulled out her map. "My classrooms are hilighted."  
  
Shana found the health classroom, and found where they were.  
  
"We just went too far. It's in this hallway right here," she said, pointing to single door.  
  
"I don't think that's a hallway though," Allie said, and she was right. Shana was holding the map upside down.  
  
"Trust me," Shana said, pushing the door open.  
  
"OH MY GOSH!" Allie exclaimed, with her hand to her mouth.  
  
The door was not a hallway, but a broom closet. And inside were Gordo and Amber, making out. 


	3. Amber, Queen of Hilridge High School

It was lunchtime, and Lizzie was very hungry. She had been so nervous the night before, that she practically stayed up the entire night before baking, so her lunchbox was packed with peanut butter cookies, fudge brownies, and lemon tarts. Lizzie wasn't planning on eating it by herself though, she brought it all to share with her friends.  
  
She saw Brynn in the distance chatting on her cell phone. Brynn was usually attached to her cell phone, talking with her boyfriend of the moment, but today something was different. She looked somber, and Lizzie knew that it was that time. Time to move on to a different boyfriend.  
  
Brynn folded her cell phone shut, and walked up to Lizzie.  
  
"That was Chris. We are now officially over," she said, without even a tinge of sadness.  
  
"You poor thing. Have a cookie," she said, handing her a peanut butter cookie. "What happened?"  
  
"I'll tell everyone at lunch," she said very businesslike. "Where is everyone, anyways?"  
  
"Madison told me she was going to go find Jay somewhere, but she will be here, Gordo doesn't have this lunch, I haven't talked to Allie and Shana since this morning, but I think they have this lunch, and Miranda just went to buy her lunch."  
  
"Great! Let's go pick a table."  
  
The two went into the lunchroom, and sat down at an empty table. They were soon joined by Miranda. She was extremely happy about Lizzie's baked goods, because her lunch did not even remotely look like food.  
  
Madison soon sat down at the table, and Jay followed.  
  
"Am I going to be the only guy at this table?" he asked.  
  
"Looks like it," Madison said. "So, girls...let's talk about secret girl things."  
  
"Let's do," Miranda said. "Let's start with the inside of a girl's purse."  
  
"And about 'that time of the month'," Lizzie suggested.  
  
"I'm out of here," Jay said, as he got up from the table. "See you at band practice, Maddie."  
  
Allie and Shana sat down at the table as he got up, still laughing about their encounter.  
  
"What's so funny?" Miranda asked.  
  
"You will never guess what happened to us before third hour," Shana said, adding a twist of suspense.  
  
"Shana and I were on our way to freshman health, and we got kind of lost...so, we thought that this one door was a hallway, and we opened it, and guess who we saw going at it?" Allie said innocently.  
  
"Teachers?" Brynn guessed. "You saw teachers making out?"  
  
"No, even better. We saw Gordo and a new girl ALL OVER EACH OTHER," Shana said. She and Allie were delighted in the other girls' shock.  
  
Lizzie's heart sank in her stomach. "You saw...Gordo? With who?"  
  
Allie and Shana looked all over the lunchroom. Shana pointed Amber out to Lizzie, and Lizzie could hardly breath. Amber flipped her long, brown hair in the trademark Kate way, and looked over her shoulder. She saw Lizzie, and flashed a fake smile and wave.  
  
"Ugh...I hate that girl. She's my lab partner," Miranda said. "She was like 'oh my gosh...I just met the cutest boy in the school, and now we are dating....oh my gosh, they're dating?"  
  
"Well, in my household, my mom would say that they should be married," Allie said matter-of-factly. "I'm just glad they were in a closet."  
  
"Ditto," Lizzie said, and sighed loudly. "I just can't imagine Gordo with a girlfriend, you know?"  
  
"He did go out with Brooke Baker, remember?" Allie said.  
  
"When I was Mirando," Miranda said, laughing at the memory.  
  
"But this girl is different...she just seems like really social climbing, and I think she wants to dethrone Kate," Lizzie said.  
  
"I think she already has," Brynn stated, as they watched what was going on at the popular table.  
  
Amber had already claimed the "most popular girl spot" at the table, so by the time Kate, Claire, and Nora got there, there were no seats left. Amber flashed them an apolegetic smile, and then went back to talking to Ethan and James, Nora's best friend.  
  
Ethan and Kate were going steady, and even though Nora and James were not going out, they had some sort of complicated friendship, where nobody dated anyone else. This apparently enraged Kate and Nora, who with Claire, took off in a huff.  
  
They looked around, and saw that all of the tables were full.  
  
"Oh no...this Amber is beginning to be sort of a problem," Miranda whispered.  
  
Kate looked like she was going to cry, and Nora nudged her in the arm, gesturing towards Lizzie's table.  
  
The once rulers of the school came up to the table, and Kate said in a sweet little voice, "Lizzie, can we sit here?"  
  
"Sure!" Lizzie said pleasantly, while the other girls gave her death glares. "Pull up a chair."  
  
They all grabbed a chair from another table, and squeezed in. Nora was in the chair next to Madison, and they both smiled uncomfortably.  
  
The rest of the girls looked very uncomfortable and awkward, as Lizzie was the only one who really accepted those three. Most of the other girls still held a grudge for when they were dumped, besides Brynn, who moved there after all the damage was done, and was pretty good friends with Kate.  
  
"So, what were we talking about?" Lizzie said, trying to instigate conversation. She looked around at all the blank faces.  
  
"I have something to say. Chris and I broke up. Actually, I dumped him," Brynn announced.  
  
"Why did you DUMP him?" Shana asked, emphasizing the word dump.  
  
"Did you even have a reason?" Madison asked coldly, glaring at Nora.  
  
"Well...he called me during class, and left a message that he needed to talk. I just called him back, and he told me he met someone else when we were in Florida."  
  
"How incredibly selfish of him!" Miranda said, making a big deal of the word selfish.  
  
"Did you know the girl that he met?" Lizzie asked.  
  
"It actually wasn't a girl," Brynn stated, and the other girls all looked disgusted.  
  
"That was so mean to leave you out in the cold when something happened to you for a new group of popular friends," Madison said angrily.  
  
"Are we even talking about the same thing?" Brynn asked, with a confused look on her face.  
  
"You know what I'm talking about...Nora," she said, as she got up out of her chair. "I can't sit here and pretend like there is nothing wrong, like you Lizzie. I'm gonna go find Jay. See you guys."  
  
Madison stormed off from the table in a hurry, and everyone knew what it was about.  
  
In sixth grade, the entire table (with the exception of Brynn, who hadn't moved there yet) was the best of friends. Madison and Nora had been best friends since birth, as with Miranda and Lizzie, and Shana and Allie. Kate was Lizzie and Miranda's best friend (who also were best friends with Gordo), and Claire, who went to ballet with Allie, was part of their group. Madison and Nora, who were always far more mature than the others, preferred hanging out with guys as well, so they usually hung around with Jay and James.  
  
The summer after, everything changed. Madison's father died in a car accident, and she withdrew from basically everyone but Jay. Allie and Shana constantly tried to help her, but Nora did nothing, abandoning her. Kate and Claire left them in the cold, and Nora, Kate, and Claire became the unstoppable popular group. Lizzie and Miranda did not really start hanging out with Allie and Shana again until Madison began to involve herself more, and Brynn moved there, sort of uniting the group.  
  
"Ummm...I have to go to class, or something," Allie stuttered.  
  
"I have to go get my library card," Shana said.  
  
Miranda looked at the table with now consisted of Brynn, Lizzie, Kate, Nora, and Claire.  
  
"I have to go do something," she said, hurrying off to join the others.  
  
Lizzie looked like she wanted to burst into tears.  
  
"I thought everything would be okay," she said, and Brynn put her hand on her shoulder.  
  
"I was a bitch in seventh grade," Nora said. "I totally regret everything that happened."  
  
"I am really sorry about everything," Kate said, shaking her head. "But, I don't think they will ever forgive us."  
  
"Ditto," Claire stated, raising her hand. "Maybe they will feel better, once they learn that there is a new queen to this school."  
  
"I'm worried," Lizzie said.  
  
"About the fact that your friends hate us...or about her?" Nora asked.  
  
"About her, definitely. She's a schemer, and she is determined to take everything for herself," Lizzie said. "She taking over the cheerleading squad, and now she has taken over Gordo."  
  
The bell had rung, and Gordo was dismissed from his class so he had joined Amber at her table. Lizzie tried to wave him over, but he acknowledged her, and went back to Amber.  
  
"He's all goo-goo eyed over her," Lizzie said. "It's sickening, and they have only been going out for what....two hours?"  
  
"Why would you care?" Nora said, and Kate kicked her under the table. Kate, not having the values of Allie, told Nora and Claire everything. "I mean...yeah, they should get a hotel room."  
  
"They already got a broom closet," Brynn snickered.  
  
"You know what, I have to go to class," Lizzie said, picking up her books. "See you after school."  
  
A chrous of "byes", and "see ya laters", rang from the table, and Lizzie rushed to her next class.  
  
"I can't believe Gordo is wasting his time with that skank," Nora said. "He really needs to get rid of her, when he can have Lizzie."  
  
"Wait...Lizzie and Gordo are just friends, right?" Brynn asked.  
  
"Are you blind, Matthews? Gordo's had a crush on her for like...ever," Claire stated.  
  
"Then why is he skanking it up with Amber?" Brynn asked.  
  
"He obviously is trying to say something to Lizzie," Kate said while filing her fingernails. "Like...hello! Lizzie! Other girls like me!"  
  
"She doesn't like him though. She's just trying to get to Lizzie," Claire deduced. "I'm really going to feel sorry for Lizzie, when Lizzie beats her."  
  
"You know she will. Lizzie is awesome at gymnastics," Nora said. "I can't wait to see the look on her face."  
  
"Me too," Kate said. "I just can't believe she was trying to move in on James and Ethan when she has Gordo."  
  
"You know, there is nothing really holding me back from fighting in school," Nora said. "If she tries one of her little numbers on James like she did on Gordo, I will kill her."  
  
"But you two aren't even dating," Brynn said. "Wait, this is probably something else I don't know."  
  
"No, we're just friends," Nora replied with a sly smile. "With benefits."  
  
"But Ethan and Claire are going steady," Claire said. "So she will have all of us up on her case if she so much even tries anything with him."  
  
The bell rang again, and the four realized that they were going to be late to class.  
  
"Crap, we better go," Nora said. "See ya later."  
  
She got up and ran to catch James, who was waiting for her. They linked arms, and ran to their next class.  
  
"Bye guys," Kate said, and she met up with Ethan.  
  
Brynn and Claire smiled at each other.  
  
"What do you have next?" Brynn asked politely. "I have biology."  
  
Claire checked her schedule.  
  
"So do I!"  
  
The two ran off to the biology class together, trying to not be tardy on their first day of school.

* * *

"Last class of the day!"  
  
Lizzie and Shana were walking down the hallway, at the same time as they were celebrating their survival of the first day.  
  
"Where's Allie?" Lizzie asked Shana, because she usually knew.  
  
"She has advanced dance for dance team right now, and then she has practice until four," Shana said.  
  
"Why don't we all go to Pop's after school today?" Lizzie suggested. Pop's was an old-fashioned ice cream shop that was pretty much the unofficial hang-out of their group. It was also where Madison worked, so she got an employee discount for everyone in the group.  
  
"Well, I'm in, but Allie will probably be there after four. Brynn has practice before school, so she'll be there. Madison can probably make it, Jay can too...what about Gordo and Miranda?"  
  
"It was Miranda's idea last hour, so she'll be there....but I don't know about Gordo, you know, he might be sucking face with Amber," Lizzie said.  
  
The two walked into their last class, geometry, and Amber and Gordo were both sitting there together.  
  
"Great," Lizzie muttered to Shana. "Hi, Gordo!" she said in a cheery voice to her best friend.  
  
"Hey, Lizzie," he quickly said to her, and turned back to Amber.  
  
The door swung open again, and in walked Nora and James.  
  
"Hey guys," they both said, and Lizzie replied.  
  
Shana looked increasingly uncomfortable, and at that moment, none other than Simon Alexander walked in.  
  
"Gordo," he said loudly. "Where were you at lunch?"  
  
"Amber and I were talking. What lunch did you have?"  
  
"B. I didn't see you there," Simon said, looking rather dejected.  
  
Simon took the seat behind Gordo, and looked over to his side, where Shana was sitting.  
  
"Oh...it's you again," he said reluctantly, and sighed.  
  
Shana flashed a smile, and went back to talking to Lizzie.  
  
Nora and James sat far back, and watched the whole scene.  
  
"I think Simon and Shana know each other, and they hate each other," James observed, and Nora nodded. Nora also went to the same synagogue as Simon and Gordo, so she knew everything about Simon.  
  
"I can feel the tension between Amber and Simon," she said. "They had a really long relationship before she cheated on him."  
  
The teacher came into the classroom and called the class to order, as the aide handed syllabi to everyone. But Lizzie could hardly care, as she had Gordo's love life to deal with. Lizzie pulled out a piece of paper, and wrote:  
  
_Gordo-__Do you wanna come to Pop's after school today? Everyone, but Allie, in our group is going to be there.  
Lizzie  
_  
But the note did not get to Gordo, instead Lizzie accidently kicked it underneath Amber's desk. Amber smiled sweetly at Lizzie, and made an 'awwww...how juvenile' look, as she picked it up.  
  
She read the note quickly, and wrote her own reply in her fuzzy pink pen, with a feather on top. She placed it on Lizzie's desk, and Lizzie opened it.  
  
Underneath Lizzie's note read:  
  
_Sorry, honey, but Gordo and I are going to go over some homework at the library after school. But, after class, I wanna go over a few things with you....kay? That would be fab!  
Amber  
_  
Lizzie sighed and laughed at the same time. Only Gordo would take a date to the library.

* * *

After class, Lizzie and Shana walked out the door, complaining about the first and only homework assignment of the first day. Lizzie felt a tap on her back, and when she turned around, Amber was standing right behind her.  
  
"Lizzie, we need to talk."  
  
"Okay," Lizzie said unsurely. She thought for a brief second, Amber would talk to her about some of the animosity they had between them, but Lizzie was completely wrong.  
  
"I'm not very comfortable with your friendship with Gordo," she said coldly. "I would prefer if you two did not hang out together anymore."  
  
Lizzie nodded, still not quite hearing the whole thing.  
  
"I mean, you two could totally go behind my back and go out together, so I think that you should dump him as a friend."  
  
Lizzie stopped nodding, and got the full impact of what she just heard.  
  
"You want us to quit being friends?"  
  
"It's for the best, Liz," she said. "Can I call you Liz?"  
  
"No," Lizzie said, and now she was angry. "Gordo and I have known each other since birth."  
  
"Yes, and it's only natural sometimes to develop feelings for each other as more than friends."  
  
"But, he is my best friend!"  
  
"Yes I know," she said. "And, I think it would be really unselfish of you just to 'let him fly', on his own."  
  
With that, the devil known as Amber clicked away in her high heels.  
  
"I cannot believe her," said Amber, who had remained silent. "You just have to let him fly on his own...Liz...can I call you Liz?"  
  
Lizzie laughed at her imitation.  
  
"She is a total witch," Lizzie said. "I am not going to give up my friendship with Gordo for her."  
  
Amber looked at her watch, and started to guide Lizzie to the door.  
  
"C'mon, we can talk about this later. We're going to be late."


	4. Truth or Dare, Minus the Dare

**_Miranda's POV_**  
  
"I'll have to say, college boys are highly overrated."  
  
I was sitting in the diner with Brynn, and we were the first to get there after Lizzie called both of us and told us the plan.  
  
"Half the time they worry about what their friends are going to think," I remarked, even though I had never had a college boyfriend.  
  
"One time I asked him if I could go to his dorm room, Chris told me that his room had the exterminator in it," Brynn said. "Turns out he lived in the homosexual fraternity."  
  
"You're kidding me," I said. "They actually have those?"  
  
Brynn did not say anything in return, she just smiled with her tongue in her cheek.  
  
Lizzie and Shana burst through the door, with Lizzie holding her cell phone to her ear. She flipped it shut with a very disappointed look on her face.  
  
"Madison won't come. She thinks Nora might be here," Lizzie said. "That's not what she said, though. She said she and Jay needed to go over band stuff."  
  
"What about Gordo?" I asked, but I already knew the answer.  
  
"Amber won't let him," Shana added, and by the look on Lizzie's face, I just knew that there was something else.  
  
All of the sudden, all eyes were on Lizzie.  
  
"Liz...can I call you Liz?" Shana said in a witchy voice. "You really need to just let Gordo fly on his own, and I think it would be best if you didn't hang out at all anymore."  
  
"Oh no she didn't," I said, probably matching Brynn's reaction as well.  
  
"It's just...everything is so messed up," Lizzie said, and she bit her bottom lip. This only meant one thing-tears. "Madison won't hang out with us cause she thinks Nora will be there, everyone hates each other, Amber is ruining everything, and I am not going to make the cheerleading squad..." She hung her head down and just cried.  
  
"And it's only the first day of school," Shana remarked, and Brynn stomped on her foot to get her to be quiet. "Owww...what did you do that for?"  
  
Shana did not get the picture, so both Brynn and I gave her death glares to get her to shut her mouth.  
  
I put my hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at me. Lizzie looked terrible with her mascara running down her face, and her lip gloss smeared.  
  
"Everything is going to be okay. First of all, you are an awesome gymnast, so you will make it over her. Gordo will get fed up with her, and you two will be friends again. Last of all," I said, holding up a finger. "I can't make any promises."  
  
Lizzie just continued to sob.  
  
"And we are going to be the most awesome high school freshman Hilridge has ever seen," Brynn said.  
  
"Exactly. We kick ass," Shana stated.  
  
"And Amber can't touch that," I remarked, and we finally saw a smile from Lizzie.  
  
"You guys are great," she said, wiping the tears from underneath her eyes. "I love you guys."  
  
"We know," Brynn said, hugging Lizzie. "We are the best."  
  
Shana joined in the hug, and so do I. We had a huge group hug, and we all laughed.  
  
"Still...I wish Madison would come," Lizzie said. "And Gordo, Jay, and Allie-"  
  
"She has practice until four. If she could come, she would be here," Shana interjected.  
  
"I know. And I wish that Kate, Nora, Claire, Ethan, and James could come too and we could all be friends again."  
  
Brynn agreed, nodding her head, but Shana and I just gave each other a look.  
  
"Lizzie, we still have some issues to work out with them. It might be awhile, but we can't forgive them just yet," Shana said, and I nodded my head in agreement.  
  
"I know. But promise me that you guys are working on it?" Lizzie asked, and stuck out her pinky for a pinky promise.  
  
"Promise," I replied, and both Shana and I took turns doing the pinky promise.  
  
"Guys, I can just feel it. This is going to be an awesome year," Brynn remarked, and not a one of us disagreed.

* * *

Lizzie's mom gave us all rides home, but as I walked into my kitchen, and heard my parents wrapped up in a screaming match, I knew that I better go somewhere else. I hated when they fought, and I usually avoided going home when one of them was in a bad mood.  
  
I walked up to my room, passing my older sister Maria's room. She was laying on her bed, face up to the ceiling, trying to drown out her thoughts with her iPod.  
  
I walked into the her room, and sat on the bed. I could hear the music blaring, and I knew that she had it so loud that she couldn't hear anything.  
  
"Maria?" I yelled, but I still got no answer from her. "Maria?"  
  
Finally after a couple of attempts, she heard me, and pulled out her headphones.  
  
"Hey, Randy. Are they still going at it?" she asked.  
  
"Unfortunately, yes. They did not even notice when I came home," I answered.  
  
"Oh well...how was your first day of high school?"  
  
Maria was a junior, and we were usually pretty close. Our bond had strengthened by our parents fighting, and we could talk about anything.  
  
"It wasn't that bad. Lizzie was in major freak out mode."  
  
"Why?" Maria asked. She knew most of my friends.  
  
"Number of things. Did you hear about that new girl, Amber?"  
  
"Ugh. I hate that girl."  
  
I smiled. I could always count on Maria for an answer like that.  
  
"She's going out with Gordo, and apparently she won't let the two of them hang out."  
  
"Eek," Maria replied making a face. "Hey, Miranda. I was thinking about going to that bookstore slash coffee shop. Do you want to come?"  
  
"Sure," I replied. Maria was addicted to books, and she spent most of her money on books. I always had joked that she could buy a nicer car if she did not buy books for a month.

* * *

While Maria browsed through the new releases, I decided to treat myself to a coffee in the shop.  
  
I stood at the counter waiting, because there was no one there. However, after I looked for awhile, I saw a young boy, probably about my age, sitting off to the side, reading a book. He had longish hair. that fell over his gray eyes, and he was extremely good-looking. I had never seen him at my school.  
  
"Ahem," I said, tired of waiting. He looked up for a moment, and then gestured to the sign hanging by the register.  
  
**_ON BREAK. BE BACK AT 6:00.  
_**  
I looked at the clock. 5:58. Two more minutes.  
  
"Can you please just take my order? I'm tired of waiting," I said impatiently.  
  
He did not look up from his book this time, he just held up a finger as if to say, one minute. I looked at the clock, and the time had changed to 5:59.  
  
I sighed loudly and impatiently, but he still did not do anything to even indicate that he heard me.  
  
Finally the clock clicked to 6:00, and the alarm on his watch went off. He put a bookmark in his book, tied his apron around his waist, and took down his sign.  
  
He flashed a smile to me.  
  
"Now...what would you like?"  
  
"Ummm..." I replied looking at the menu. I had been waiting for so long that I had forgotten what I wanted. "Just a second."  
  
"You know, I really don't have time to wait on you to decide."  
  
"I waited a long time on you," I replied. He was cute, and really charming....stop it Miranda. You're supposed to be ordering coffee.  
  
"Sorry about that. I wanted to finish my chapter," he said, holding up his book. The Great Gatsby, the cover read. _Great_, I thought to myself. _A literary type_. "It's a great book. Have you ever read it?"  
  
"Yeah...great work of F. Scott Fiztergerald. A great American Masterpiece," I read off the cover.  
  
"You've never read it, have you?" he asked with his adorable smile. Gosh, he has got to quit smiling like that.  
  
"No, I haven't," I admitted, and he laughed.  
  
"Josh Myers," he said, shaking my hand.  
  
"Miranda Sanchez. Where do you go to school?"  
  
"Where do you go to school?"  
  
"Hilridge High School," I answered.  
  
"So do I."  
  
"No way. What grade?"  
  
"Freshman," he answered. "And I went to Milton Middle School, in case you were wondering."  
  
"Ahh, a Milton muskrat," I said, using the nickname we gave them at Hilridge. "I went to Hilridge."  
  
"Oh...a Hilridge...." he said, pausing. "I'm sorry, we didn't really have a nickname for you guys.  
  
"So, how come I have never met you before?" I asked.  
  
"Ummm, we kind of went to different intermediate schools, and I'm kind of a shy person," he answered.  
  
"You shy?" I asked, doubtful.  
  
"Actually...I wouldn't say shy, I would say I'm just a loner."  
  
"Ahhh....I see. Well it was nice meeting you, but I better go find my sister," I said.  
  
I did find my sister, and she had found her boyfriend, Jonathan, and they were "catching up" in the nonfictions. I groaned, watching my sister and her boyfriend. They were both good kids, both on the honor roll, and heavily involved in extracurricular activities. Needless to say, my parents turned a blind eye in the closeness of their relationship.  
  
I walked back into the coffeeshop, and leaned against the counter. Josh was still sitting there, reading his book.  
  
"So my sister is going to be awhile," I said, and he glanced up at me.  
  
"Really," he said, like he could not be any more interested.  
  
"So I guess I'll just hang around here," I said.  
  
"Joy," he said sarcastically, and he actually kept a straight face for a few seconds, and then he burst out laughing. "I'm sorry."  
  
I rolled my eyes.  
  
"So what do you want to talk about?" he asked, putting a bookmark in his book.  
  
"I don't know...what do you want to talk about?" I countered.  
  
"What about...twenty questions?" he suggested.  
  
"Aren't we a little old?" I said.  
  
"Why don't we play truth or dare?" he said. "Minus the dare, cause we are in a coffeeshop."  
  
"Okay. I'll go first. Why do you have a job at such a young age?"  
  
He gulped, and thought about his answer for a little bit.  
  
"My mom had me when she was fifteen, so things have been really hard over the years. We even lived on the streets for some time, but she never gave up on me. This is her bookstore, and I help her run it. It's our main source of income," he told me.  
  
"Wow," I replied.  
  
"I know. It's been really tough over the years. Now it's my turn...what's the deal with your friends-the blonde one, and the curly haired one?"  
  
"Lizzie and Gordo? I thought you didn't know who I was," I said in suprise.  
  
"I saw you at school today, and I was in their geometry class. There are some definite feelings there."  
  
Wow, I thought to myself. This guy is a complete stranger, and he knows about the Lizzie/Gordo saga.  
  
"Well...Gordo has had a big crush on Lizzie forever, he won't admit it but he does, and Lizzie did in the fourth grade, but now she denies it. She's afraid of losing their relationship," I answered. "What kind of question was that? It wasn't even about me."  
  
"I was trying to ease you in to the game, unlike you," he said defensively.  
  
"What?" I asked. "I'm sorry."  
  
"No, it's okay...you didn't even know me until about fifteen minutes ago."  
  
"Alright," I said when he accepted my apology. "Next question: what is your favorite way to cook your egg?"  
  
He looked at me strangely.  
  
"What kind of question was that?" he joked. "Since when does egg-cooking determine the depths of our personalities?"  
  
"Oh you didn't know that?" I joked back. "Supposedly if you like scrambled eggs, you are a complex person."  
  
"Then I am a complex person," he responded. "My turn: what did you do this summer?"  
  
"I went to Mexico to visit my grandparents with my mom and sister," I answered. Easy question. "What did you do?"  
  
"Worked. My turn again," he said.  
  
"It's not your turn," I said.  
  
"Yes it is. You asked me what I did this summer, and I said that I worked. So now it is my turn."  
  
"I guess you are right," giving him a sigh.  
  
"What are you most afraid of?" he asked. "What is your biggest fear?"  
  
I drew in my breath, and collected my response. I could not believe I was going to tell this to an almost stranger, when I hadn't even told Lizzie.  
  
"My parents getting a divorce. They fight all the time now, and they never stop. I find myself avoiding home, and ever since we got back from Mexico, it's gotten a lot worse. That's kind of the reason we went to Mexico. My mom wanted to leave my dad, so we left for the summer, and in the end we just went back again."  
  
We were both silent again.  
  
"My turn-" and I started my question, but was interrupted by Maria.  
  
"Hey, Miranda...I'll see you in school. And we can continue our game then," Josh said, as I left the coffeeshop.  
  
"See you later, and you still haven't taken my order" I yelled back, and Maria and I walked out the door.  
  
"Did you know that guy?" Maria asked me. "He was cute."  
  
"We actually just met today. He goes to Hilridge."  
  
"Really?" my sister asked, but I could tell she was only thinking about one person: Jonathan. 


	5. Daisy Love, and No War

After being dropped off by Jo Mcguire, I slowly made my way up to the front door, and I noticed that my next door neighbor, Gavin Burns, was outside.  
  
"Brynnigan!" he yelled, holding his hand up. "How was your first day of school?"  
  
"If you ever call me by my full name ever again, I will hurt you," I threatened him seriously, and he didn't budge a bit.  
  
"Whatever you say, Brynnigan Daisy-Love Matthews," Gavin joked, as he smiled his famous smile. He brushed his floppy, blonde hair out of his eyes, and started to move around stuff on the front porch.  
  
I should probably explain some things about Gavin Burns first. He has blonde hair that is constantly falling in his face, and he is tall and skinny. He is extremely clumsy, and usually is in motion some way or another. Gavin is always knocking something over, tripping over his own two feet, or trying to fix something that he broke.  
  
We have some major history together, and it starts when our moms were college roommates together at Berkely. Our parents, much to our dismay, had an...interesting lifestyle back then, as one can tell from my full name. They were hippies...they drove a volkswagen van, my dad had really long hair, they protested in favor of "love, peace, and happiness, and my mother walked around without shoes on most of the time.  
  
Mrs. Burns and my mom were the best of friends, and they did everything together. They both got married in an informal ceremony by a witch doctor (how they found one in Southern California, I still don't know), they both had children at the same time (I was actually born in Dallas, because of this cross-country road trip our parents were on), and they had plans to buy houses next door to each other, and have their kids grow up together.  
  
When I was very young, my parents were still on their vegan diet, and I was not allowed to have a Barbie doll (it was made of plastic, and it contributed to the evils of consumerism). As my father finally got a job, our family was transferred to Dallas, and I grew up there. But still, twice a year, my family and I visited the Burns, and Gavin and I came to be each other's playmate.  
  
Gavin always liked to tease me, and I still cannot stomach mayonaise to this day because of him. Our parents always used to joke how we would end up together, and I would always wrinkle my nose in disgust, because Gavin was a boy, and he was....Gavin.  
  
My parents decided we should move back to Hilridge when I was sixth grade, so that we could be closer to our family, and the Burns. We bought the house next door to theirs, and Gavin was there to annoy me full time.  
  
Now, Gavin and I have both matured a little. He still teases me, but we are both pretty good friends. It's always nice to have someone to roll your eyes with at Thanksgiving, when you are sitting on a cushion on the ground, eating tofu, and sipping green tea (yes, my parents are still hippies.)  
  
"Shut up, Gavinian No-War Burns," I retaliated, using his real name. We both had sort of a pact that we would never use each other's real names in public. "What are you doing? Raking your yen garden?"  
  
"Actually, I am trying to move some furniture out, so the energy can function better in our house." Most people would have thought this was weird, but I knew exactly what he was talking about. "My mom is convinced that we need better feng-shui."  
  
"Ahh," I said, shifting my backpack onto my other shoulder. "Need help?"  
  
"Not really," he replied. "We are actually done, and we are eating some wheatgrass cookies in celebration before yoga."  
  
Yoga class was every Monday night, and every member of our families was expected to go. Gavin and I usually found some way to get out of it, because despite our parent's weirdness, we actually turned out pretty well-adjusted.  
  
"That's must be my mom's recipe, and since I have already tasted those, I would have to decline," I said.  
  
"Who can resist a wheatgrass cookie?" he said sarcastically, moving the pot on the front porch to the other side. "That feels so much better."  
  
The one thing I liked the most about Gavin, was how he could always make me laugh, no matter what. He and I were on the swim team together, but we really didn't hang out with the same group of friends.  
  
Actually, Gavin didn't really have a "group", I've noticed over the years, he kind of floats around with all of the groups. Nobody dislikes him at all, the charmer that he is. He could be eating lunch with the Mathletes, and still hang out with Ethan, James, and Jay after school, and no one would care. He is just like that.  
  
"I have a lot of homework," I replied, and he gave me one of his looks.  
  
"On the first day of school?"  
  
"Honors Geometry," I said, making my own face in return. I actually did like math, and it had always been my favorite subject.  
  
"How is your boyfriend?"  
  
"We broke up this morning. Turns out he was gay."  
  
Gavin gave me a look of fake shock.  
  
"Wow, I did not see that one coming...actually I did. He hit on me once."  
  
"He did not," I said in disbelief, though I was still laughing.  
  
"Yeah, he told me that my shorts looked sexy on me."  
  
"You're making that up."  
  
"Maybe. Are you going to be able to make it to yoga tonight?" he said, quickly changing the subject.  
  
"Only if you promise to be there," I replied. "I still can't forget last week when you got stuck in that one position."  
  
He made a hilarious face.  
  
"I still hurt from that," he said massaging his thigh. "That shows me not to do any more rising suns of death."  
  
"But the teacher almost died laughing," I replied. "Are you guys going to go to eat with us tonight?"  
  
Every Monday night after yoga, it was almost a tradition to go to eat at this little place next door to the studio. It was owned by the yoga teacher's husband, and up until last year, everyone had to take their shoes off upon entering (they were reported by someone to the health department.) The entire menu was organic and vegan, but Gavin and I, the only meat-eaters in the group, had learned to deal with the weekly wheatgrass shakes and tofu burgers. After an incident with the brownies, however, I had learned to never eat their desserts (due to a secret ingredient that starts with a p, and ends with a t.)  
  
"I'm not sure what we are doing tonight, but I was looking forward to having some brownies there," he said, still making fun of me for the one time I tried a brownie.  
  
"Alright," I said. "See you there."  
  
He waved me goodbye, as he tried to push a huge stone sculpture of Buddha over a foot.  
  
I opened our front door, and smelled the scent of my mom's famous tofu lasagna. I instantly knew that she was cooking dinner, and I cheered to myself that we did not have to go to yoga.  
  
My suspicions were confirmed when I saw my mother in her "cooking outfit" standing by the stove.  
  
"Are we not going to yoga tonight?" I asked my mom, grabbing my stash of potato chips.  
  
"Put those away, Brynn. You don't want to ruin your appetite," she scolded me, and I put the bag down. "No, we are not going to yoga tonight...your grandparents and the Burns are coming over for dinner."  
  
I froze in my tracks.  
  
"Grandma and Grandpa?"  
  
Don't get me wrong-I absolutely love my grandparents, but they never can get along with my parents. My grandma is the complete opposite of my mom-she has the whole sweater set, pearl necklace thing going. She completely disagrees with my mom and dad's way of life, and does whatever she can to make sure that I get a normal upbringing.  
  
They are also really rich, and they still resent my father for the couple of years early in my parents' marriage when they lived in a van down by the river (whenever I think of this, I think of Chris Farley's motivational speaker on Saturday Night Live....I just watched the entire most unforgettable moments countdown on E.)  
  
My grandmother also hates the way my parents are bringing me up, to which I actually have no complaints. MY parents are extremely lenient, and they pretty let me do whatever I want. I just hope that they won't continue the screaming match from last time we went out to dinner (the infamous pot brownie incident.)  
  
"Yes, your grandparents. And do me a favor...don't let them see your fake I.D."  
  
"What fake I.D.?"  
  
"Good girl."  
  
Before you start thinking, what a spoiled brat, the fake I.D. was not on my doing. My parents were protesting censorship and age restrictions, so they got a fake I.D. for me. And, no...I never have used it.  
  
Before I turned to go up to my room, my mom gestured for me to sit at the table.  
  
"How is Chris?" she asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee.  
  
"We broke up," I said, probably for the fiftieth time in the day.  
  
"Awww, honey," she said, stroking my shoulder in the way only mothers can do. "Why?"  
  
"He was gay," I said matter of factly.  
  
I knew it," she said, almost happily. "I mean...that's too bad."  
  
"You knew it too?"  
  
"Honey, we all did. He told your dad that he just loved his shoes," she said, trying to hold her laughter in. "You know who would be the most perfect guy for you?"  
  
"If he has dreadlocks...no, I will not do it," I replied.  
  
"No...you and Gavin would make a PERFECT couple."  
  
I looked at her with a look of dread, confusion, and utter disbelief.  
  
"You're kidding me."  
  
"No, really. You two are like best friends, right?" she said, and I put my hands over my ears, trying hard not to listen to anything she said about me and Gavin.  
  
"LA LA LA LA!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "I'M NOT LISTENING, AND I AM GOING TO MY ROOM NOW!"  
  
"WHEN YOU GO TO YOUR ROOM," my mom yelled up at me. "PUT ON THAT OUTFIT THAT YOUR GRANDMOTHER GOT YOU FOR CHRISTMAS!"  
  
I got into my room, and shut the door quickly so that I could change. I pulled out the entire outfit that my grandmother got out of the back of my closet, and looked at it in horror. It was so not me, or anyone else my age. It actually looked like something Kate would wear. I'm not making fun of what Kate wears, because she rocks that business suit (notice that is with a hint of sarcasm...sorry Kate!).  
  
Unlucky for me, since my mom is insistent on that I wear this, I kind of have to. So, I pulled it on, and I looked about ten years older.  
  
The outfit was totally not me. It was a black-pinstriped business coat, with a turtleneck for underneath (no way I can show any skin). She even went as far to get me hose to wear under the knee-length skirt. My grandmother also bought me accessories to match which included a three strand pearl necklace, and a pair of high-heeled shoes (of course-closed toed, and under two inches tall).  
  
I finished putting on the finishing touches as the doorbell rang. I heard the familiar voices of the Burns, and knew that they were there already. I opened the door to my room, and saw Gavin, looking particularly restrained in pressed slacks and a shirt. He was carrying a huge dessert dish, and that would mean only one thing. The Famous Burns Carrot Tofu Cake.  
  
I ran downstairs so that I would not be accused of being a rude host by my mother, and Gavin tried to wave to me, which was hard because he had no free hands.  
  
"You look like Barbara Bush," he said to me, as he set down the tray.  
  
"Thanks, I think," I replied, mocking disappointment. "You look...pressed," I said, giving him the once over.  
  
"My mom made me wear this," he said, tugging at his neck. "There is so much starch in this, I feel like a potato."  
  
I rolled my eyes at his lame joke, as the doorbell rang.  
  
"Here come the grandparents...brace yourself," I warned him.  
  
My mother opened the door, and welcomed her mother and father into our home.  
  
"Brynn, you look so adorable," my grandmother said, coming straight to me.  
  
"Thank you, Grandma," I said, as she gave me a huge hug. She then moved to Gavin, who was casually leaning against a wall.  
  
"Sit up straight, boy. You don't want to slouch all your life," she commanded, and Gavin stood straight up instantly. My grandparents were extremely rude to the Burns, because in their opinion, they ruined my mother's life.  
  
Everyone went into the kitchen, and Gavin and I stayed out in the gathering room.  
  
"Well, here goes nothing," I said, and Gavin smiled. Despite everything that went on in my family, I always knew that I could count on Gavin and that award-winning smile.  
  
I won't bore you with the details, as the dinner went the same as usual. Forced conversations, extreme politness on the Burns side, and my mother going against everything her mother said. I swear, they are like Lorelei Gilmore, and her mom.  
  
After dessert, my mother casually mentioned the word "brownie", and off went everyone into a screaming match. I took this as my cue to leave, and I quietly slipped out the back door. I lifted up the fence panel between the Burns' house and ours, and retreated to their tree house.  
  
When Gavin was little, his dad and my dad built this treehouse one summer that we visited. It is amazing. It has a stairway, a dumbwaiter, and a balcony. Since we have gotten older, Gavin and I moved a mini-fridge up there, as well as some posters. We also begged our fathers to give up a skylight one year.  
  
We always come here, and sit and talk. One could say that it is our place. Anyways, as soon as I kicked off my shoes and laid on the couch, I heard Gavin's footsteps on the stairs.  
  
"I saw you leave," he said, and sat down on the floor.  
  
"There is only so much fighting I can take sometimes," I replied, and Gavin dug out his guitar.  
  
"This will make you feel better," he said, and he began to strum the opening chords to my favorite song.  
  
"Yesterday," he sang, and his voice instantly soothed me. Gavin had an awesome voice, and he had already made the highest choir as a freshman.  
  
"Love was such an easy game to play..."  
-  
After about a half hour, we decided that we should go back into the house. I opened the door first, and nervously walked in. It was quiet, so I knew that the fighting had subsided for the moment.  
  
"Brynn, Gavin," I heard my mother's voice call out from the dining room. "You're just in time for the big announcement."  
  
We walked into the dining room to see the adults all sitting around the table, glaring at one another.  
  
"Okay, now that we are all here, we have an announcement to make," my mother said happily, and my father stood up beside.  
  
"We are going to have another baby!"  
  
For the next minute there was no sound, except for my grandmother, who dropped her lipstick when she heard the news. 


	6. The Hot Guy Across the Street

Allie's POV 

So, I finally get done with dance practice, and I am instantly so glad that this is the ONLY day that we have it right after school. We are usually going to have it at 4 (so we can go home in between, and regroup ourselves), but on Friday we are going to have a pep rally, and our coach could not come at 4, and she did not want us not to have practice. I was so worn out from my first day here, that I could not even concentrate on the dance.

Also, various things were flying throughout my head, and all I could think about was Gordo going out with Amber, the moving van in front of the house across the street, and the popular girls wanting to befriend us again.

I could not even do a double pirouette, and I am the only girl on the squad that can do triples. I am so tired.

Needless to say, at the end of practice, I was so glad that I could finally go home. I pulled off my jazz shoes, and pulled on my tennis shoes, wanting to leave as fast as I could.

"Hey, Allie," one of the other freshmen on the team, Chloe Winston, called out.

"Yeah," I answered, already almost out the door. Chloe is nice, but since she went to the other middle school, she and I don't really know each other that well. We are also completely different; she does not have the bext technique, but her stage presence is AWESOME. She makes everything look good.

"Is that Amber girl and David Gordon going out?" she asked. We were roommates at dance camp, and I told her all about the entire ordeal. "I thought he was like...in love with Lizzie."

"He is in denial," I replied. "And, I saw him and Amber making out in a closet today during school."

"You freshmen. You guys constitute the majority of the drama in our school," one of the seniors, Lindsay Wells, remarked. Lindsay was super nice, and she was the student body president of our school as well as the captain of our squad.

I shrugged my shoulders, and looked out the door to see my mother waiting in her car.

"I guess I'd better go," I said, pulling my ponytail out. "Bye!"

Chloe and Lindsay both waved to me, and I ran out to my mom's car.

* * *

Pulling onto our street, I saw the mysterious moving truck once again. 

"I guess somebody finally bought that house," my mom remarked.

I strained my neck to see what the family looked like, and I saw what I presumed to be the parents of the family.

The dad looked relatively young, with a goatee, and kind of scruffy hair. His wife was beautiful; she was African-American, and she had her hair pulled back into an elegant bun. She was holding the hand of a little girl, who looked to be about six years old.

Then, the door to their house opened, and out came the most gorgeous boy I had ever seen. He looked to be about my age, and he was almost like a younger version of his dad, minus the goatee. He was carrying an old notebook, along with a pencil. I ducked inside quickly, so they would not see me gawking.

I ran upstairs to my bedroom, and drew up the blinds. Much to my dismay, my mother was going over to talk to them. She shook hands with the entire family, and proceeded to introduce herself. They talked for an extremely long amount of time, and when she finally came back home, I began to press her for information.

"Are they the new neighbors?" I asked, trying to add an edge of disinterest to my voice.

"Yes...they are the Hunters," my mother replied, digging out her recipe. "What do you think I should send over there for them?"

"Where are they from?" I asked, ignoring her last question.

"Well, it is really interesting, actually. They have live all over the world, and they moved here from Morocco," my mom replied, leafing through her recipe book at the same time. "Angela said that she used to move all over with her father, and she has been interested all her life with traveling the world."

"Who is Angela?"

"Angela is the wife's name, and Shawn is her husband's name. They have two children, Cory, and Topanga," she said. "Cory is a sophomore in high school."

My heart fell. No way would he ever be interested in me. He was a sophomore, and I was a lowly freshman.

"I said that you two should 'hang out' sometime," my mother said, making quotation marks with her fingers at the same time, and I was instantly embarassed.

"Mom...I am not in elementary school anymore. Mothers don't arrange playdates for their children," I complained.

"Oh really? He said he would love to hang out with you," my mom replied. "Cory was a very polite young man."

"What are we having for dinner?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Your dad is bringing home dinner," my mother replied.

"I am going to go do my homework," I told my mother. I had to go talk through the latest developments with Shana.

* * *

I nervously clicked the mouse, hoping that Shana would be signed on. As my buddy list slowly loaded, I thankfully saw her name, DramaQueen06. 

pennylane06: Are u there?

DramaQueen06: Relax...allie, i am here...u can stop worrying

pennylane06: lol...listen, i have to tell u sumthing

DramaQueen06: What's up?! :)

pennylane06: hottie major moved across the street from me, ;)

DramaQueen06: can i come over 2morrow? lol

pennylane06: his name is cory hunter

DramaQueen06: wut does he look like?

pennylane06: he has longish hair that is dark brown...medium height, skinny, kind of has that whole john mayer vibe going on

DramaQueen06: sounds hot...wut grade?

pennylane06: sophomore...:((((

DramaQueen06: that is ok...lets just hope some other girl, like amber does not snatch him up

pennylane06: what happened with that anyway?

DramaQueen06: she totally told lizzie to not hang out with gordo anymore...lizzie is in total freak-out mode

pennylane06: what does gordo say about this?

DramaQueen06: i don't think that he knows about is, she pulled lizzie aside after math class

pennylane06: omg..i never thought this day would come, gordo getting a gf like amber

DramaQueen06: i always thought it would b u and gordo ending up 2gether

pennylane06: :o, no way! i have never even liked him!

DramaQueen06: i know, u 2 just seemed like a good fit, but now i know who u like...neighbor boy

pennylane06: i think that should b our code name 4 him...who do u like?

DramaQueen06: i have not really seen anyone at hs yet

pennylane06: what about gordo's friend, simon? i thought u 2 were lab partners...he is kind of cute

DramaQueen06: gag me...i HATE him with a passion, and we did not even talk that much

pennylane06: why?

DramaQueen06: he just thinks he is SO smart, and he completely put down everything that i liked

pennylane06: did u go 2 pops? who was there?

DramaQueen06: lizzie, brynn, miranda...madison refused to come...that's another thing lizzie was freaking out about

pennylane06: was brynn upset about her and chris?

DramaQueen06: not really, knowing her she will just find a new guy once again...she should totally check out that new guy

pennylane06: not neighbor boy

DramaQueen06: no, did u c that colin kid? the new football player? they would be perfect 2gether

pennylane06: i dont think i saw him

DramaQueen06: he and brynn were MAJORLY flirting in one of our classes 2gether

pennylane06: what about gavin?

DramaQueen06: u know they would never go out, they r practically family

pennylane06: yeah, but remember that party incident last year?

Last year, our gang went to a party, and Brynn got a little...buzzed. She began to dance with every guy in sight, and was flirting up a storm, and Gavin, her neighbor and best friend, got really mad for some reason. He stormed out of the party, and Brynn and him have never talked about it again.

DramaQueen06: that could have meant anything...he might have been mad that she was drunk

pennylane06: and left the party? little suspicious

DramaQueen06: i hope they are not secretly in luv, that would be like...kate and ethan, the sequel

Shana had no idea about Gordo's crush on Lizzie.

pennylane06: or liz and gordo

Oops. What a mistake...Shana has one of the biggest mouths in school.

DramaQueen06: what?

pennylane06: this cannot get out of this conversation

DramaQueen06: lizzie likes gordo?

pennylane06: NO!

DramaQueen06: gordo likes lizzie?

pennylane06: i am not saying a word

DramaQueen06: OMG! that just makes the whole thing with amber so wrong!

pennylane06: u CANNOT tell ANYONE!!!!!! I am serious

DramaQueen06: i promise...wow, that is so weird, and the whole time i thought confused guy was ethan

pennylane06: they kissed in rome

DramaQueen06: who? Ethan and gordo

pennylane06: no u retard...lizzie and gordo

DramaQueen06: then why r they still just friends?

pennylane06: L is scared, i think...and g will not even come forward. L probably basically already knows

DramaQueen06: they would be so cute 2gether!

pennylane06: u just said that me and gordo would b cute together

DramaQueen06: i changed my mind...and i did not know anything back then

pennylane06: that was like, 5 seconds ago

DramaQueen06: we grow up so fast

"ALLIE!" my mother yelled. "Come set the table!"

pennylane06: i g2g...dinner

DramaQueen06: k bye...and i will not tell ANYONE

pennylane06: lol, bye


	7. Just Another Manic Tuesday

The next morning at school 

Shana's POV

Yes! It's finally...man, it's only Tuesday. I thought it was at least Friday by now. This whole first week at school thing is wearing me out. Speaking of Fridays, I need to make plans for this weekend...I kind of have always wanted to go to a true high school party.

That party last year...that was only eighth graders trying to act like high schoolers. It definitely got a little out of hand. But now we are in HIGH SCHOOL, and a whole realm of weekend fun opens up.

I'd have to say out of our group, Brynn and I are definitely the heaviest partiers. It's not like we like to go out and get drunk or anything, we just have a lot of fun.

After walking in the front door, I saw Allie getting her stuff from her locker. I quickly walked up right behind her.

"Seen neighbor boy yet?" I asked her quietly.

"He rode the bus this morning," she replied, very hush-hush.

"Did he say anything to you?"

"No," she said, very disappointed. "Maybe tomorrow he will."

"Why don't you just talk to him?"

"We can't. That's like against the rules of high school, or something," she joked, but still with an edge of seriousness.

We sat at the same table that we did yesterday, and Brynn and Gavin walked up to the table. Brynn looked like she hadn't slept all night, and her eyes were rimmed with red.

"Is something the matter, Brynn?" I tried to ask her sensitively.

She gave me a faint smile.

"My mom is having a baby."

Allie and I smiled to each other. It was really no secret that Brynn had wanted a little sister or brother for a very long time, but her parents could not have another baby no matter how hard that they tried.

"That's awesome," Allie exclaimed, a bit unsure, looking at Brynn's ragged appearance. "Isn't it?"

"It is, but my grandparents and parents argued the rest of the night about it until about three in the morning. I could not get to sleep, and we had swim practice at six."

Gavin was unusually quiet, as he looked to be studying his cinnamon roll that he got from the cafeteria.

"Gavin," I said, and he snapped out of his trance.

"What?" he said, and I saw that he had dark circles under his eyes as well.

"Gavin and his parents stayed at our house all night, trying to keep the peace."

"Ahhh," I replied. "Brynn, do you have plans for this weekend yet? I thought we should hit up some of the parties since we are actually high schoolers."

"Totally," she said, as she instantly brightened. "I heard that some sophomore is having a party in Allie's neighborhood. A new kid. He's on the swim team."

With the words "new kid" and "Allie's neighborhood", Allie instantly brightened up as well. Could it be neighbor boy?

"I don't think you guys should go," Gavin spoke up. "I mean...sophomore boys are just looking for freshmen girls to prey on."

"Maybe, but you'll be there to protect me, won't you?" Brynn said sweetly. With her words, I instantly replayed Allie and I's conversation the night before. "I heard that Colin might be there too."

"Are you two going to hook up?" Allie asked.

"Maybe...I don't know. He invited me to eat lunch with him."

"When?" Gavin asked, stabbing his breakfast with a fork.

"Just after swim practice, outside the locker rooms. He was waiting for me to get out of practice so he could ask me."

"Sounds like a stalker," Gavin remarked.

"He is SO hot. You two would make such a cute couple," Allie said, excitedly.

Gavin shoved the last of his roll into his room.

"I'm gonna make like a tree and branch," he said. "I can't stand any of this girl talk."

Throwing away his plate, and brushing his hair out of his eyes, Gavin went to go find some guys to talk to. He ended up having an animated discussion about stem cell research at the Science Olympiad table.

Almost immediately after he left, his spot at the table was replaced by Miranda, who quickly pulled out her math notebook.

"Ohmigosh, I didn't finish last night's homework," she exclaimed.

"What were you doing last night?" I asked, wondering why she could not get the little bit of homework she had done.

"I went to the bookstore/coffeeshop over on Central, and I talked with the really cool guy for a long time about life."

Life? I thought to myself. There had to be something else to it. He must be gorgeous or something...

Almost if on cue, a guy I vaguely recognized from my math class strolled up to Miranda.

"Okay, next question...what's your favorite kind of bread?" he asked her.

Miranda thought for a second, and said, "I would have to say toast on that one."

"Toast isn't a kind of bread...I meant like wheat, sourdough, french...something like that," the guy, said, giving her a frown.

"Yeah, it is. Actually the truth is I don't even like bread."

"Well, that works. See you later."

The guy casually walked away and sat at a table be himself. He pulled out a Walkman, and a book, and began to read. The Great Gatbsy. Hmmmmm....must be smart or something.

"Miranda?" Allie said, raising her eyebrows.

"I met him last night. He's so different from anyone else, it's actually charming."

"What's the whole deal about bread?" Brynn asked, disinterestedly looking like she was pulling out split ends.

"We have this game called Truth going on in between us. We basically just go back and forth answering each other's questions."

* * *

Meanwhile, during their friendly pre-school conversation, a different conversation was taking place, in the back of the freshmen lockers. 

Colin and Amber were sitting there, having a private conversation, looking very close, even though Amber had Gordo, and Colin was about to be dating Brynn.

"So, do you want to help me?" she asked, seductively, twirling her long hair around her finger.

"Why are you doing this, Amber?" Colin asked her.

"Simon dumped me, Colin. Nobody dumps me," she said defensively.

"I hate Simon so much. I can't believe he said those things to you," Colin said, actually believing what she was saying.

"I know. Did you know that yesterday, he told Gordo that he should break up with me?"

"I know that you want to get back at Simon, but why Lizzie, Brynn, and all those girls?" Colin asked.

"Lizzie is against me for the last cheerleading spot," Amber said, smoothing out her skirt. "Brynn is gorgeous, and those girls are like...the most loved at this school. They have everything, and if I can turn them all against each other, I can have everything that I want this year."

"Just don't let it turn into what happened at HA," Colin warned.

"Don't worry. I've gotten a lot smarter. Did you see how I snagged Gordo the FIRST DAY of school?" Amber bragged. "How is your thing going with Brynn?"

"Great...I'm eating lunch with her today, and I think I'm going to ask her," Colin admitted. "But why is me dating her going to bring the whole group down?"

"You'll see," Amber said. "It's all part of my master plan."

"What about Kate, Claire, and Nora?"

"Their little worlds are already unstable. If I could dig up some dirt, I could drag them all down."

"And Miranda, Shana, Allie, and Madison?"

"I have no idea about the first three, but do you remember Andy, the drummer from Hilridge Academy?" Amber said, while Colin nodded. "He is in her band, and he has told me stuff about her and that Jay kid."

"So, go over the first part of your plan with me."

"First," Amber said, holding up one finger. "I date Gordo, and prohibit Lizzie from seeing him. You date Brynn, and cause that Gavin kid to self-destruct. Also, I heard that she is a massive partier, so get her drunk, and maybe she'll crack."

"And, we keep our eye on the look-out for other info that could cause damage."

"Right," Amber assured him. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Amber seductively placed her hand on his leg and started to walk off slowly.

* * *

Simon angrily dumped his backpack into his seat in first hour biology. Shana sat quietly leaning back in her seat, but from the look on Simon's angry face, she did not want to kick her seat out from under her. 

"What's the matter?" she asked inquisitively.

He did not answer; he just gave her an angry glare.

"Okay...what happened?" she said, rephrasing her question.

"Listen, we are not good friends, and I don't think I have to confide anything to you," he retorted back.

Shana decided not to bug him as much, so she just raised her eyebrows silently.

"It's just...Gordo," he said suddenly, facing her. "You know how he's dating Amber?"

Shana was suprised at his sudden change in attitude, but she decided not to push it by asking too many questions.

"Yeah..."

"Well, as you may not know, she and I used to go out, and I think she has other motives," Simon said. "And now, the guy that she cheated on me with, Colin, moves here...and it almost confirmed my suspicions."

"Brynn's Colin?" Shana asked, very confused.

"Hotshot football player? Extremely good looking? That would be the guy," Simon answered. "I think she might want to cause trouble here."

"She moved her just for that?" Shana asked.

"Well...she caused some really bad things to happen at our old school, and she was hated by pretty much everyone."

"Wow," shana said in shock. "Did you tell Gordo? Or Brynn?"

"I tried, but he won't believe me. Brynn probably won't either."

The teacher walked into the classroom, and started class.

"But don't blab this to any of your friends. I know how you are."

With that single sentence, the connection that he and Shana had made in their brief conversation was shattered yet again.

Later that day....at lunch

Brynn was met at her locker by Colin, and he was smiling widely.

"Hi," he greeted her. "Are we still on for lunch?"

"Of course," Brynn answered, putting her books into her locker.

He led her to his lunch table, in which Amber, Ethan, James, and Jay were sitting. Amber smiled at her, and scooted over to another seat, so Brynn could sit by Colin.

"Hi, Brynn!" she said, very perky. "How are you today?"

Brynn was pleasantly surprised. She thought that Amber was some kind of monster that was absolutely horrible to be around. But, she was being really nice to her.

"I'm okay. I'm pretty tired," Brynn answered back, as she opened her lunch bag.

"So am I! You know, we should really hang out sometime!"

As much as Brynn wanted to hate Amber for Lizzie's sake, she really could not help befriending her. In fact, she almost liked her.

"Are you going to that party this weekend?" Brynn asked.

"Yes! We should totally ride together!" Amber exclaimed. "I can give you, Colin, and Gordo a ride...where do you live?"

Brynn gave her address to Amber, and they excitedly started talking about what they were going to wear. Brynn, however, could not help thinking about what Lizzie would think of this. She decided that the best thing would be to keep this whole thing under wraps.

Suddenly, she felt an arm around her shoulder. She looked over to her side, and saw Colin, who was smiling at her.

Brynn smiled back. She just hoped that he wasn't gay.

"Is this okay?" he asked, and Brynn immediately thought of how sweet he was.

"It's perfect," Brynn answered. She loved to love and to be loved, and Colin was just the perfect guy for her.

"Come on...I gotta ask you something."

He pulled her by the hand, and whisked her into a remote hallway in the back of the school. Most of the classrooms were empty, and there was no one else in the hallway.

"What do you want to ask me?" Brynn asked, but she already knew the answer.

"I know that we just met yesterday, but....will you go out with me?"

Brynn looked into his eyes. Colin had to be the best high school boy she had ever met....

She was lost in her thoughts: thinking of Colin, her friends, her parent, her old boyfriends....Gavin...

She was suddenly confused. Why would she think of Gavin at a time like this?

Abandoning all of her thoughts, she allowed Colin to lean into her closely. This whole thing would be so perfect if he just kissed me, she thought to herself, and like magic, their lips touched.

Every feeling in her body exploded like fireworks. She doubted that she had ever felt this way about anyone, except for Gavin.

There she went again. Why couldn't she banish Gavin from her mind, and why was she thinking about him of all people while practically making out with another guy, who was totally hot?

**_Meanwhile.....in the lunchroom_**

Gavin scanned the tables for Brynn's usual table when he remembered that she was eating lunch with Colin today.

Okay, he thought to himself, jock table.

He found what he was looking for when he saw Amber, surrounded by Ethan, James, and Jay.

"Hey guys," he said, casually waving at his friends. "Do you where Brynn went? I need to tell her something."

Amber put down her Diet Pepsi and smoothed her skirt. This was an opportune moment for sabotage.

"Are you her brother?" she asked sweetly. Amber almost enjoyed seeing Gavin's crushed face.

"No, I'm her neighbor....and her friend," Gavin stuttered. Her words burned his heart. Brother? Sure, Brynn and him were really close, but he hoped that she did not look at him like a brother.

"Oh...well, Colin just ran off with her," Amber, said giggling. "I think they are in the F Hall."

Amber gave him a wink, as if Brynn and Colin were doing something. Hopefully not, but Brynn had gotten herself into bad situations like that before.

"Bye," Gavin said, and ran to the F Hall, before the bell rung. He had no classes back there, but he still knew its notorious meaning as being one of main places that students went for PDA (private-not public-displays of affection).

Then he saw the two, intertwined in a passionate embrace that tore his heart into pieces.

In fact, he was so hurt that he told a teacher from E Hall. She rushed off to find the two, and gave them both detention. Gavin remained anonymous, but he still felt tremendously that he just turned his best friend in.

Even if he did kind of like her.


	8. Used to be my Friend

After math class, Lizzie had to go for the cheerleading auditions. She was first, and she also wanted some mental prep time. So, she quickly said goodbye to Shana, who promised to come be there for the results. 

Shana slowly put her math book and binder into her backpack. Simon also did as well, and shot her a glare as they both watched Amber and Gordo.

"Gordo, promise me you will come see the results," Amber pleaded. "Because you love me so much."

"Of course I will," Gordo said, acting like a spineless jellyfish.

"I got to go," Amber said. "I'll see you when I make it!"

Suddenly, Shana was sickened, and took off after Amber as she left the classroom.

"I know what you're doing," she said to Amber angrily, backing her into a corner. "Simon told me all about you, and I'm going to tell Brynn that Colin doesn't really care for her."

Amber raised one eyebrow.

"Oh really? And who are you?" she asked condescendingly.

"It doesn't matter. Stop trying to mess with me and my friends. It isn't cool."

"I'm not doing anything, so just chill," Amber replied, slipping away from Shana. "Ta-ta"

* * *

Lizzie unfolded her t-shirt out of her duffel bag. She pulled her blouse over her head slowly, and started to change for the cheerleading auditions. She wore her "lucky"" outfit to school, the one that Paolo first saw her in, and convinced her to become Isabella. Lizzie usually didn't have a "lucky" anything, but she wanted all the luck that she could get for the tryouts.

She gave herself the one-over in the mirror. Her mom was buzzing with excitement last night as Lizzie told her the news, and took her out to buy a whole new outfit to try out in.

Kate walked into the locker room, clipboard in hand.

"Good, you're here. We're about to start," she said, very businesslike. "You are so gonna make it. You have nothing to worry about."

As Kate strutted out of the room, Lizzie tightened her ponytail once again. She really did hope that she would make it, not just for herself, but for the whole squad. She wouldn't wish Amber on her worst enemy.

Speak of the devil herself, Amber strolled casually into the locker room.

"Oh hi, Elizabeth," she said coldly. "Are you prepared?"

Her question inflamed Lizzie's anger, making her think of new comebacks like never before.

"I think the true question is, are you prepared?"

"Cute," Amber answered while spritzing perfume all over herself.

Kate stuck her head into the locker room.

"Lizzie? You're first. Are you ready?"

Lizzie stood up, and looked into the mirror one last time.

"Yeah," she replied to Kate, and then turned to Amber. "May the best person win."

"Oh, don't worry blondie," Amber replied. "I will."

Lizzie followed Kate into the dance studio, and they instructed her to stand in front of the judging table. She didn't know any of the judges, but they smiled at her, and asked her name.

"Lizzie McGuire," she replied, trying to act as perky as she possibly could.

Lizzie glanced to the side of the room, where the entire junior varsity squad was sitting. Nora, Kate, and Claire, among with the other three girls, smiled at Lizzie.

"Okay," the coach of the squad, who was sitting in the middle of the judging table, said. "Can we sit your routine?"

Lizzie gave a confident smile as she nodded, and Nora pressed play on the sterio.

Her routine went flawless, including the amazing gymnastics section. Everyone could see that the judges were visibly impressed of her choreography, with the short amount of time.

She stuck her ending pose, and the coach, trying to sound impartial, told her that she did a great job. Lizzie looked over to the cheerleaders, who were eagerly clapping silently for her.

"Send the next person in, and after she is done, we will give you the results"

Amber confidently walked into the room, bringing her prop, a folding chair, with her. She told the judges her name, and waited for her music to start.

The judges tried hard not to show the horror on their faces. Amber's dance could only be described as not school appropriate. She blew kisses, and winked her way through the numerous times where she slithered across the judge table, and her "strip tease" in the middle.

She landed in her ending pose, wearing nothing but a sport's bra, and a short pair of shorts. The judges tried not to laugh, and the coach told her that she did good.

They sent her into the hallway, as they did with Lizzie, and waited until they saw that she went into the locker room to change.

"I guess it's obvious who we want," the coach said, sarcastically. "Kate, bring in whoever is in the hallway to hear the announcement."

Kate walked out into the hallway, and found that a large crowd of people had shown up to hear the audition results.

"Everybody, come on in," she yelled, and the crowd cheered. She was almost run over by a stampede of baloons, flowers, and congrats signs, all made for Lizzie.

They all sat down at the back of the studio, and Lizzie and Amber stood nervously by the judges table. Lizzie scanned the crowd, and saw all of her best friends. Including Gordo, who was carrying a bouquet of flowers, definately not for Lizzie.

"Both of the candidates did a very good job, but unfortunately, we could only choose one. The new member of the junior varsity squad is," the coach announced, pausing for a dramatic effect, "Lizzie Mcguire!"

Amber stormed out of the room, grabbing Gordo's hand as she stormed out. However, her exit went largely unnoticed by the large group of people. Lizzie's mom ran up to Lizzie, who was almost in tears, and gave her a huge hug.

"I'm so proud of you, honey!"

This was the general sentiment of the room. Allie, who was waiting for dance team practice to start, ran to Lizzie.

"OMIGOSH!!! You did it!" she exclaimed, almost knocking Lizzie over. "You really deserved it."

The excitement died down a little, as Lizzie's good friends separated from the crowd, the rest were just curious. Miranda gave Lizzie some daisies, and Madison and Shana were truly excited as well.

* * *

As Brynn and Colin were released from detention, they both were equally surprised by the number of freshmen still at the school. But then, Brynn remembered that it was the day of cheerleading tryouts.

Colin had to go to football practice, so he promised Brynn that he would call her later. As he ran into the boy's locker room, Brynn noticed Amber, her eyes puffy and bloodshot as if she had been crying.

"Hi Brynn," Amber stammered out, and Brynn instantly knew that Lizzie made the cheerleading squad. "How was detention?"

"Crappy," Brynn answered. "But what could I expect? At least Colin was there with me."

"I bet. Listen...I have something to tell you," Amber said, with an edge of urgency. "You know your friend Shana?"

Amber sighed, trying to look like this confession was going to kill her.

"I can't tell you."

"What?" Brynn prodded her. "I need to know if it's about my friend!"

"Your so-called, back-stabbing friend?"

"What are you talking about?" Brynn asked, very confused.

"She's in my math class, and we had some free time....and all she could talk about with Lizzie was Colin this and Colin that," Amber said, looking down at the ground. "She's majorly jealous."

"I don't believe you. She wanted us to get together."

"See for yourself. She told Lizzie that if she could make something up to break you guys up, she would. I think she's gonna try to tell you that he doesn't really care about you or something."

"He does....doesn't he?" Brynn asked, suddenly feeling very vulnerable.

"Of course he does....I have known him for the LONGEST time, and he has never acted the way he does with you for anyone else," Amber reassured Brynn. "Here they come....gotta go."

Amber rushed off, as Brynn's large group of friends started to come her way.

"I made it!" Lizzie exclaimed, still high on her buzz of excitement.

"That's great!" Brynn exclaimed. "Sorry I couldn't come...I had detention."

"What were you doing?" Miranda asked.

"She and Colin got caught making out in the "fornication" hallway," Allie said, cracking up.

The group laughed for the longest time, and Brynn did notice something a little off about Shana. She wasn't even laughing with the group.

They all made small talk for a little while, until everyone dispersed into their regular after-school activities. Except Shana, who was lingering around Brynn.

After everyone left, Shana walked closely to Brynn.

"I need to tell you something," she said to Brynn, with a sense of dread in her voice. "It's about Colin. He.....doesn't really care about you."

Brynn stood with her mouth open wide as everything Amber said began to come true.

"I can't believe you!" Brynn yelled. "You whore!"

Shana was taken aback, and tried to put the pieces together.

"I can't believe that you would want to take away my new boyfriend," Brynn continued with her rage. "Amber told me that you were jealous of me."

With that, she stormed out the door, leaving Shana no time for explanation. Tears were slowly rolling down Shana's face, and she sat on a bench as she tried to gather her thoughts. One of her best friends was being taken advantage of, and there was nothing she could do. Amber was truly ruining lives, one friendship at a time.


	9. Chapter 9

Lizzie's POV 

After Amber threw down the flowers that Gordo gave her, and ran out of the room, Gordo stood by the door to the girl's locker room looking a little like a lost puppy dog. Even though, I couldn't really talk to him, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"Hey Gordo," I said, initiating the first conversation that we had in the last 24 hours. "How are you?"

He look startled, like he completely was not expecting me to talk to him at all.

"I'm good. Congratulations."

"Thanks," I replied. I'm sure that he could tell as well that the conversation was extremely awkward between us. "Are you going to that big party?"

"Yeah. Amber was going to take me, Colin, and Brynn."

Did he just say Brynn? Was she friends with Amber? I should ask her about it.

"That's cool. Maybe I'll see you there," I replied, but I really could not take this anymore. "Gordo, I really don't think we should talk anymore," I burst out.

His face fell visibly, and he clenched his right hand into a fist. What was that all about?

"Why not?"

He obviously didn't know about what Amber told me.

"I just think that our....relationship is being strained because of Amber, and it would be less....stressful for the both of us if we just remain casual acquaintances."

I couldn't believe that I said that. Here was Gordo, one of my best friends since I was a BABY, and here I was practically dumping him.

"Lizzie," Gordo said, looking down to the ground. "Well, if we're not going to be friends anymore, then I need to give you a hug."

I smiled, but yet I felt guilty at the same time. Gordo hadn't really changed that much, but here I was dumping him because of his girlfriend. A tear ran down my cheek, and I silently wiped it away.

"Gordo," I said, giving him a huge hug. "I'm going to miss you SO much!"

Gordo kind of let go and looked at me, sort of confused.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm going to miss having you all to myself and not having to share you with all of the girls," I quickly clarified. I was above just coming out and saying that Amber was completely using him, because I really didn't have proof of that yet.

"Lizzie...we always knew that our friendship would change in this direction someday," Gordo said. "Did you think I was going to remain a bachelor for the rest of my life?"

I laughed, seeing a mental picture of Gordo in twenty years, the neighborhood cranky old guy that nobody dared kicked balls into his yard because they would never see them again.

"No....I'll see you around Gordo," I replied, and gave Gordo a pat on the back.

It was sad giving up on our friendship but with Amber and everything that was happening, it was probably the best. But, I had this weird feeling in my heart. Like....something was missing.

* * *

Amber, after putting on a show for Brynn, quickly ran up to the girl's locker room again, trying to avoid all of Brynn's hopefully soon to be former friends. She grabbed her stuff, and quickly tried to touch up her makeup when she saw two lone figures standing in the dance studio. 

She made out one to be Lizzie, but whoever she was standing with was not facing her, and she could not tell. Maybe she could fit in some sabotage before she left.

As she walked closer to the viewing window, she saw that it was Lizzie and Gordo, having a friendly conversation. Lizzie looked like she was about to start crying as she hugged Gordo.

Hmmm, Amber thought to herself. This could just prove something.

She whipped out her cell phone and snapped a couple of pictures of the two hugging, and Lizzie patting Gordo on the back. She would find something to do with it eventually.

* * *

Miranda's POV

After the initial excitement that was Lizzie's audition results, the excitement finally died down, and I was able to find my sister. She was sitting at a lunchroom table, thumbing through some book, trying to look like she was bored.

"Maria.....I just met a girl named Maria," I sang into her ear loudly, and she jumped. This was a part from one of the songs in West Side Story, and our mom used to sing it to her before she went to bed as a lullaby. That was before our parents started to fight.

"Gosh...you scared me. Did Lizzie make it?"

"Yep. Of course. She psyched herself out for nothing," I replied, picking up her book. "The Great Gatsby....Josh was reading this yesterday."

"Josh?" my sister said, raising one of her eyebrows while she gathered her stuff into her bag. "Who is this?"

"One of my new friends. He was the one at the bookstore last night."

"Oh," my sister said, appearing disinterested.

Our "conversation" was cut short by our sighting of Shana, who was sitting on the stairway, looking as if she had been crying.

"Shana...what's wrong?" I exclaimed, and I ran up and sat next to her.

She wiped away her tears, and cleared her throat.

"Apparently....I'm jealous of Brynn, and I want to steal Colin away from her. But I have never even said anything like that. I wanted them to get together, and Brynn just came up and went ballistic screaming at me, and she called me a whore and everything, and I didn't know what was happening....and I've lost one of my best friends," Shana said in all one breath.

I looked at Maria.

"What?" I mouthed.

"No clue," she mouthed back.

"Okay," I said to Shana. "Brynn yelled at you?"

Shana nodded her head slowly.

I was shocked. Brynn was usually the most sane one of our entire group. I had actually never even seen her phased one bit, not even after she had broken up with somebody.

"Why?" I asked.

"She said that I was jealous of Colin and her, and that I wanted them to break up," she said quietly. "I wanted them to get together."

Maria patted Shana on the back.

"I'm sure there is an explanation to all of this that you don't know yet," Maria said sweetly. "It's just a misunderstanding."

"I knew this would happen," Shana said. She always had those typical drama queen moments where she made bold statements, but this statement was a little too true.

"I knew that when our group went to high school, we would eventually fall apart. Middle and high school are two different things altogether," Shana went on to explain. "Lizzie and Gordo used to be best friends, and now their just....nothing, Brynn has a new boyfriend and a new crowd, and I don't even know what's going on with Madison anymore."

It all made sense to me now. There was a reason for all of this. We were growing apart, and we just weren't going to be friends in high school. Everything was making sense.

"That is so true," both Maria and I agreed in unison. This caused us to shoot each other looks. We were not really comforting Shana anymore.

"And then there is this whole thing with the popular crowd wanting to be our friends again. What is that all about?"

This scenario that Shana described rang true in my mind. Did I really believe that our group would survive for that long? Did I really think that we would grow up and have each other as bridesmaids, and live in the same neighborhood with our kids? Did I really think that our kids would be friends?

This realization was almost too much for me. Everything that I had thought about in the last three years was coming to a head-bitterness over Kate leaving us, my jealousy of Lizzie, my belief that Brynn was just a skank in a good girl's clothes, annoyance of Shana's attitude. All of these feelings had grown immensely over the past month. Did I really want to be friends with these people?

* * *

After getting her stuff out of her locker, Amber ventured out into the parking lot to find her mom waiting for her. 

"Did you make it?" her mom asked impatiently.

"No," Amber said, extremely annoyed that she had to explain everything to her mother. "A girl named Lizzie Mcguire did."

Amber's mother flipped her hair, rolled her eyes, and sighed all at the same time.

"You didn't really want to do that anyways, did you?" her mother rationalized.

Amber looked at her mother, and sighed as well. The truth was that her home life was extremely unhappy. In fact, it seemed as though it was pulled straight from a Desperate Housewives storyline, with her mom playing the Gabrielle part. Except their storyline was a little different.

Her mom was extremely beautiful, and was a supermodel in New York when she met Amber's dad. Amber's mom fell in love with his money, and they had a one-night stand together. A couple weeks later, she found out that she was pregnant, and she assumed that he was the father. She forced him to marry her, believing that with his money, this was a blessing in disguise.

After the birth of Amber, the couple moved out to Hilridge to live a quiet life together. However, Amber's dad was often immersed in his work, so Amber's mom was almost famous for her wandering eye. She had had a numerous amount of affairs, all different ages, and different types of men. Amber did not know if her dad knew, but it was possible he just didn't care.

She was currently involved with a married man by the name of Carlos Sanchez, but Amber was so disgusted with her mother, she refused to even look at the guy.

"I don't know. I kind of did."

"You know....I think I know Lizzie Mcguire's mother. There is a woman named Jo Mcguire in my book club, and she said that she has a daughter that goes to HHS," Amber's mom said. "And there is another woman with the last name of Williams, who has two daughters that go there. The one that is your age is named Shana, I think."

Amber thought back onto Shana, and did not feel a wave of remorse as she thought about what she had done to her. Shana was no longer friends with Brynn, as far as Amber was concerned.

* * *

Later that same night, Gavin sat in the tree house, trying to finish writing a song he had started for Brynn's birthday. But, he had lost his inspiration once she had started to date Colin.

He looked down at his lyrics, and they seemed silly and childish. Back when he actually thought that they had a chance.

His grand, master, romantic plan was to sing this song to Brynn on her birthday, and to sweep her off her feet. It was just this last year that he started having these feelings about her, but he was not sure what she saw them as. He considered himself in the same boat as Gordo, but Gavin was almost blind to any other girls.

This was obvious with his song, which he had started after a joint family campout that their families shared over the summer, before she met Chris and her family went to Florida. He and Brynn stayed up one night by the fire, and just talked about everything. Gavin was almost that they would get together within the next week, but his hopes were dashed when he saw Chris for the first time.

Suddenly he heard footsteps climbing up the stairs. He assumed it was his mother telling him to come down for dinner, but then he heard some voices. Realizing that it was Brynn and Colin, he grabbed his notebook, and jumped out of the window.

He landed on their little, "sort-of balcony" (as Brynn called it). It was right under the window, and the only way down out of it was this system of ropes and pulleys, that acted as an elevator. However, Gavin did not want to be heard, and he knew how much noise it made. So he sat patiently, waiting for the two of them to leave. But, as their conversation started, he realized that he could hear everything.

"Thanks for calling me to come over," Colin said. "What is this place?"

"This is my tree house that my dad and Gavin's dad made for us," Brynn replied. "It's my special place. My parents never come up here."

"Who's Gavin?" Colin asked.

"Gavin Burns? I guess you wouldn't know him. He's that blonde, tan kid....he's like a brother to me."

"Oh, good....so no..."

His voice trailed off, but I knew what he would have said. Unfortunately, Brynn's next statement confirmed his suspicions.

"No, I have NEVER felt anything for him. We're too close."

"Good."

The next thing that followed was a very strange sound, that only meant to Gavin that they were making out. He tried to block out the sound, but it was killing him to hear Brynn making out with another guy. He knew that she did do other things with guys, but he almost never thought about it.

"Are you sure that your parents never come up here?" Colin asked, out of breath.

"I'm sure," Brynn replied.

Gavin raised his eyebrows, as it sounded like they were fooling around. He didn't want to look, but by the sounds, he was almost sure of what they were doing.

His uneasiness increased, as he heard Colin lifting his shirt up over his head, and unzipping his pants.

They are not going to, Gavin thought to himself.

"Colin, we only met yesterday," Brynn said. "Are you sure about this?"

"Brynn...when I first saw you, it was love at first sight...."

Gavin plugged his ears with his fingers, and tried to shut out the sound of his love-I want sex-speech. But, curiosity got the best of him, and he tried to listen to what was happening.

"I love you too....okay, I want to do this."

"Is this your first time?" he heard Colin ask her.

"No...no it isn't."

Gavin definately could not handle listening anymore, but he knew he couldn't get down the safe way. He had to find another way.

Looking at the ground, he thought that he would never jump, but hearing the sounds from the tree house, it wasn't looking that bad.

* * *

At the Matthews house, Brynn's mother was blissfully unaware of what was happening in the tree house. She was putting her tofu casserole into the oven, when she heard the doorbell ring.

Gavin was standing in the doorstep as she opened the door.

"Hi, Gavin! Looking for Brynn?"

"Yeah, actually....I was in the tree house about an hour ago, and I think I accidently locked it, with my key in there. I was just going to borrow Brynn's, because I left something in there," he said, totally convincing.

Brynn's mother smiled.

"I actually just got home a couple of minutes ago from my doctor, so I don't know where Brynn is....I haven't seen her. I actually wanted to talk to her myself about the whole baby thing.....did she seem okay last night?" Brynn's mother rambled on.

"She was perfectly fine about all of it, actually," Gavin answered. "She's really happy to have a little brother or sister."

"Hmmm, well...it looks like she is home," Brynn's mother said, gesturing towards her bookbag laying on the floor. "She must be in the tree house."

Brynn's mother looked at the new pick-up truck parked in front of their house.

"I wonder if she has guests?" she asked Gavin.

"I think that is our neighbor's relative's car, actually," Gavin replied, knowing perfectly well whose car it was. "Actually, now that I think of it, I don't really need to go up there."

"Oh, okay. I think I'm going to go up there anyways, and get your key. She and I need to talk for awhile about this whole situation."

Gavin smiled, but he still felt guilty as he waved goodbye and retreated back to his house. This was the second time in a day that he got Brynn in trouble. Even though he knew that best friends did not rat each other out, sometimes his feelings got the best of him.

When he got back to his house, the feeling of curiosity got the best of him yet again, as he pulled back the curtains in the window facing the backyard. As Brynn's mother opened the door, she immediately started to yell and scream. Soon Colin ran out, sans shirt, and Brynn came out not too long after, with her mother on her tail.


	10. That Tutu Wearing Freak

**_Allie's POV_**

"I can't believe that you are making me ride with you to the end of our street. Why can't I just walk to the bus-stop?"

"You can never know what kind of creeps are roaming the streets at this hour."

"Mom, most of the creeps are asleep at this hour."

My mom's insistence on driving me to the bus-stop was driving me crazy already. I knew that she cared for me immensely, but this was almost too much. There had to be at least six more kids that rode my bus that lived on our street.

"Just get into the car. Don't complain."

My mom grabbed her keys, and ushered me into our family mini-van. As we pulled up to the bus-stop, there was only one guy standing there. He turned around, and with the realization of who it was, my face turned five shades of red deeper.

It was him. The kid who lived across the street. Oh. My. Gosh. Was he cute or what?

I glanced over at my mom, who was adjusting the radio station.

"I'm going to get out," I warned her.

"Alright, have a good day."

As if on cue, the bus turned the corner as I stepped onto the pavement. Figures, I thought to myself. Could we not just have some small talk?

However, as I boarded the bus first, my luck began to change. You see, there was only one seat left. I dropped my stuff in the seat, and sat down.

"Is this seat taken?" he asked, and my heart began to beat a thousand times faster.

I moved my backpack silently as he took the seat next to me.

"Don't you live across the street from me?" he casually asked me.

"Yes," I not-so-casually choked out. "I'm Allie Davidson."

"I'm Cory Hunter."

I slumped down in my seat. How was I ever going to get a guy to like me when I couldn't even use my blatant wit and sarcasm properly?

I decided the best approach would be the act aloof...like I didn't really care. I just would not talk to him.

However, the bus driver turned the radio up, and almost subconsciously, I started humming to some random song that I didn't even like.

"Do you like this song?" he asked, and I was humiliatingly notified of my so-called singing.

I clutched my throat in another stupid gesture.

"It's okay. I thought it was cute," Cory replied.

HE SAID HE THOUGHT IT WAS CUTE! I just needed a moment to take it all in.

"My girlfriend does the same thing. The other day she accidently started singing Everlasting Love, Jimmy Fallon Style in the car."

My heart fell. He had a girlfriend?

"You have a girlfriend? Where does she go to school?" I managed to sputter out.

"She's a senior at Hilridge. Aren't you on the dance team? You might know her. Her name is Lindsay. Lindsay Wells."

Perfect. The one senior girl that I managed to look up to was dating the guy that I liked.

"Yeah, she's the captain," I replied rather dejectedly.

I pressed my forehead against the window, and came to the awful realization that we were not even out of the neighborhood yet. Maybe my best move now would be to make polite conversation.

"Ummmm, so, where did you move from?" I asked, trying to form some small talk. "How do you know Lindsay if you just moved here?"

I had better adjust my tone. I sounded just a bit defensive.

"It's a long story. I was actually born in Hilridge," he said, folding and unfolding his hands on his lap. "We moved all over the place in my childhood."

"That's cool. I'm a Hilridge lifer."

He looked at me with a bemused look on his face. Great going, Allie, way to make yourself look like a complete loser.

"I mean that I have lived here my entire life," I quickly clarified.

"I know what you meant," he replied. "Did you go to Hilridge Elementary School? I think I recognize you from when I was in first grade."

Oh no. When people say they recognized me from elementary school, that only meant one thing. They remembered "that girl who wore tutus to school."

You see, when I was in kindergarden, I had just started ballet along with the rest of the girls in my class. Except I was already hardcore into it then. Or at least I thought I was. I was so obsessed that I started wearing tutus to school, and unfortunately, my mom didn't stop me. But, luckily for me, a lot of people don't seem to remember my past error in judgement. Except for now, of course...Cory would.

"You went to Hilridge Elementary?" I asked casually, trying to draw the focus away from me a bit.

"Yeah, I moved to London in the second grade," he replied quickly. "Weren't you-"

As he began his question, I braced myself for the inevitability of the tutu.

"-in Mrs. Brown's class?" he asked as I let out a silent sigh of relief. "Our class did that play together, right?"

"Oh, yeah," I said, slightly remembering. "The Nutcracker."

"And you were like, Clara, or something, because you always wore that tutu."

Ah yes. There it was. My tutu-filled past was laid out in the open, exposed for both of us to see.

"I remember," I replied, quietly, looking down at my feet. "You said that you moved to London. Where else did you live?"

"Paris, Rome, Casablanca...you know, following wherever my mom's army dad was stationed."

"Isn't Casablanca a movie?" I asked.

"It's actually a city in Morocco," he replied. "My favorite place was South Africa, where we just came from."

Great. So now, he not only thought that I was a past-tutu-wearing freak, but a ditz as well.

"Are you in Hilridge to stay now?" I asked, trying to resemble an intelligent person.

"Yeah," he replied, looking down at his hands. "My grandfather just died of a heart attack, so my parents wanted to settle nearby where they went to graduate school at Berkely."

"Are they from here?" I asked, surprisingly not afraid of asking questions after his confession.

"Near Philadelphia, actually."

As all good things must come to a close, so did our conversation as the bus pulled into the school parking lot. When the bus driver pulled the lever to open the door, Cory pulled on his backpack and turned to me.

"It was nice talking to you," he said. "Really...it was."

Okay, so it wasn't "I think you're hot, so I'm going to leave my senior girlfriend, who by the way is perfect, so that I can date you." But it was a start.

"I'll see you around," I managed to say while still sounding nonchalant, and not over-eager.

He gave me his great smile as he started down the steps. And, in accordance with fate, Lindsay was standing right there to greet him.

"Oh my gosh, Cory. You don't have to ride the bus," she said, in between kissing. "I'll totally give you a ride."

"That's alright," he replied, pulling back his arm to around her waist. "I got to talk to Allie here."

Oh right, I'm still standing here, gawking like a moron.

"Hi Allie!" Lindsay exclaimed, wrapping me into a giant best friend hug. "I'm so excited that you got to meet Cory!"

How can I hate someone that is so nice? Maybe hate is a strong word.

"She lives across the street from me," Cory explained as our group walked into the school.

"I have to go," I stammered like a fool. "See you guys later."

"See you at practice!" Lindsay said.

"And I'll see you on the bus," Cory added, before he and Lindsay started their own private conversation.

I sighed quietly as I walked away, but quickly brightened as I saw Shana standing alone at her locker.

"Shana, I totally just had a complete conversation with neighbor boy," I said quietly, but yet very enthusiastically, to her.

"That's nice," Shana said happily, but we were such good friends that I knew something was wrong.

"What happened?"

"Nothing," Shana replied, and then I was positive. When a true problem came, Shana dropped her dramatics and tried to soldier on.

"What happened?" I repeated, and her eyes welled up with tears.

"Brynn turned, Allie, she is friends with Amber now," she said, sadly, wiping at her eyes. "I'm such a fool, crying at school."

"Hey, that rhymed," I said, trying to cheer her up. "How did this whole thing happen?"

"She yelled at me yesterday, for trying to steal Colin."

I stomped my foot on the ground.

"That's ridiculous," I exclaimed, truly enraged. "That never was even thought of."

"I know," she said, wiping her cheeks off with her sleeve. "But I know what happened."

"Yesterday, in Bio, I was talking to Simon Alexander, and he told me that he thought that the whole thing with Brynn-Colin-Amber was an elaborate setup or something. So I confronted Amber, so I think that she lied to Brynn."

After she finished her story, I glanced to the lunchroom. Madison and Jay were sitting at "our table" with Miranda and Lizzie, who were all sneaking glances at Amber, Brynn, Colin, and Gordo's table.

"Miranda must have told them. I ran into her and her sister after it happened."

"I can't believe this," I exclaimed. I really couldn't.

* * *

_**Madison's POV**_

After leaving Lizzie and Miranda, who were soon joined by Allie and Shana, Jay and I slowly walked out of the cafeteria, arm in arm.

"I just can't believe that she would do something like that," I said to him, still in disbelief.

"Can we just stop talking about it?" Jay asked me, in an impatient voice. "The whole thing is stupid."

I gave him my meanest look.

"It's just that, I think, that we have grown past that group," he explained. "Don't hurt me, but don't you think their problems are a little...petty?"

"Yeah, but their my friends, so I have to put up with their faults...right?" I tried to explain. "I mean...I don't know."

"Madison," he said, turning so we could face each other. He started to walk backwards in front of me. "You are the strongest, most independent, individual girl I know...I just don't want you to be brought down by the drama of your friends."

I put my hands on his waist.

"Jay, I appreciate your comments, and I agree. We've been through too much to let this get to us."

"Finally, you see my point," he exclaimed, throwing his hands up into the air. "We better get to first hour."

"Bye," I said, grabbing onto his hand.

He squeezed my hand back, and smiled as we went our seperate ways to class.

As I filed into my first hour, followed by Miranda, who smiled to me as she sat down into the seat next to me.

"I hate this crap so much," she said, as our class was instructed to pull out our homework.

Brynn breezed into the room, two minutes after the bell rang. She claimed she was lost, but by her tousled hair and flushed face, I knew otherwise.

"You have no idea," I whispered to Miranda, handing my homework into the teacher. "I hate the whole piece of crap that is school."


End file.
